The Spoils of War
by FallenCrimsonStar
Summary: The ninja nations are at war, but Sakura Haruno finds herself in a unique position to end hostilities when Gaara Sabaku takes her prisoner. But no-one says no to him and lives and he wants more from her than she's willing to give.
1. Prologue

**A/N: Smack me I'm naughty... I'm not supposed to be posting another GaaSaku yet. I wanted to finish Dark Sands first, but that has ultimately become longer than I'd first anticipated and I LOVE this story so much I wanted to at least get it started. Sooo many ideas, not enough fingers to type them with. ;P  
>Forgiven? Good, now enjoy! ^_^<strong>

…

– Prologue –

…

A light rain trickled down her face, mixing with her tears, and washing away the taste of salt on her skin. Sakura Haruno was in no position to wipe the tears away regardless. Her body was as good as completely broken; she had felt the bones crack, and the muscles contort impossibly. The blood caked her skin so quickly, and cemented even in the rain. She was lying amongst a sea of dead Shinobi, both friends and foes. They came from multiple villages, but there were only three main allegiances between the great Shinobi nations. Their blood filled her nostrils and Sakura felt nauseous. She was a medic, so blood, gore and dead bodies didn't bother her. But this was different.

She wasn't supposed to be here. She wasn't supposed to enter the fray, not with this battle. It had been a long time coming, the final conflict of this war playing out _here_ of all places. And Sakura had planned to be far away when this went down. She didn't want to see this, this senseless violence. She had no control when it came to avoiding it, so she'd resigned herself to returning to Konoha and trying to pick up the pieces of her life when she was ultimately drawn back into the middle of this.

Sakura squirmed slightly, gasping at the renewed pain that reminded her of the predicament she was in. She was alive, for now, closing her eyes at the stabbing ache in her side. She was terrified of what lay beyond her when these wounds finally took their toll. She didn't have enough chakra left to heal herself, and several vital organs were bruised from that last attack. But it wasn't her imminent death that bothered her, no…

'_I'm going to die a traitor.'_

No-one could blame her for being captured by the enemy, tortured, beaten, and killed for her insolence. But instead, she was considered the enemy because she let him seduce her. She let him into her heart and then proceeded to make a mockery of her Kunoichi training by choosing not to let an innocent man die. How could she be expected to watch him writhe and scream without at least _trying_ to help him? It made no sense to not care that another human being was in pain.

Fat lot of good it did her now.

Sakura twisted her head onto its side at the sound of something moving nearby. If it were hoof beats she would not be so concerned; only civilians and the foot soldiers to the many daimyo used horses. But this was definitely a ninja. A moment later, their distinctive chakra signature was familiar to her and she struggled with the growing fear in her heart. What was _he_ doing here?

The pinkette move her head again to find the man staring down at her, the all too familiar look of lust in his eyes. But instead of making her heart miss a beat as one might expect from his expression and "position", it was instead racing in fear. She tried to move away from him as he leant over her, his face mere inches from hers. His proximity coupled with her sudden attempt to move sent spasms of pain throughout her body and she cried out.

"Don't worry my cherry blossom," he said softly, a smirk twisting his lips. "_I'll_ take good care of you."

And she wished she'd died. She wished that this had truly been her end.

…

X X X

…

**A/N: Like to be teased? Me too. This fic is bringing out my cheeky side, so be prepared. ;)  
>This prologue is just a little taste: a bit of a teaser. There's more if you like it. Like… chocolate. Mmmm, love chocolate. And strawberries, and yoghurt… and GaaSaku. ;P And of course, the chapters will ultimately be longer than the prologue, by FAR...<br>You love me, you know you do, otherwise you wouldn't be here. ;)**

**R&R.**


	2. Fate Intervenes

**A/N: Hey there! Sooo… I wanted to put "mystery" on the genre for this fic but all that does is give me a migraine. I have an incomplete NaruHina that can attest to that (still need to finish that…). So instead, be prepared for a bit of mystery that won't be taking up the bulk of the story... maybe. ;)**

**Thanks to** DreamsMelody, (unnamed ANON), gaasaku (ANON), Cindy Medeiros, miikodesu, momoXvolturi **and** gunitatsuhiko **for reviewing the prologue…  
><strong>miikodesu: **any and all lemons in this story will be consensual. Hence the lack of a warning otherwise (something like rape needs a warning)… Dark Sands doesn't have rape either… *confused murmuring* The Monster Within does… oh, right! ^_^****  
><strong>gunitatsuhiko:** don't worry, I'm still working on Dark Sands. Because once I start writing, just TRY and stop me, muwahahaha! ;)**

**Anyway… Sakura is 20 years old right now, just so you know. Also, sorry about the length of this first scene. The story will pick up, promise. For now, enjoy! ;P**

…

– Chapter 1 –  
>.:. Fate Intervenes .:.<p>

…

A long time ago, there had only been five great ninja nations, the lands of fire, wind, earth, water, and lightning. But in recent years, the land of sound (often referred to as the land of rice fields) had obtained a military strength to rival the powerful ninja countries, and so had been officially recognised as the sixth great nation. As a result, a Kage was appointed as the ninja leader of the village. His name was Imaro Namena and had been singlehandedly responsible for Otogakure's rise to joining the ranks of the greater nations. Upon his death, his replacement had been his grandson, Ketsu Takashi. Everyone knew he'd been killed by A, the Raikage. Not many people knew the invasion of Otogakure by Kumogakure ninja that had led to the death of the second Senkage **[**_*****_**]** had been the result of Ketsu's underhanded dealings. He'd been lining his pockets while letting Otogakure fall into disrepair, therefore leaving the village open to attack.

But Otogakure's dark past was ending, and in the wake of the appointment of a new Senkage, they were prospering.

This war, which had been going on for half a decade, had divided the great nations. Alliances were made, treaties signed; Konohagakure had immediately allied with Otogakure, Sunagakure joined forces with their allies from Iwagakure, and the final two hidden villages, Kumogakure and Kirigakure were joined with a similar accord. And the smaller countries that were also home ninja had been completely swallowed in the wake of the initial hostilities.

A new treaty had been signed, decisions were made, and it was the pronouncement that Konoha and Oto were about to be joined together in a way they never had before that led to the current festival-like atmosphere in the village hidden in the leaves.

The celebrations had gone on well into the night. The sky over Konohagakure was alight with fireworks, with the sound of laughter and a peaceful contentment that came with full bellies and blissful ignorance. What did they know of the sacrifice that had gone into this night, this celebration? They knew that this war had gone on long enough and perhaps with the recent engagement that some sort of peace talks could form. But they also had to know that nobody was going to ally themselves with a nation that looked down on them. Otogakure had been allies with Konoha since before the war, so falling in step along with them had been easy. But the rest of them? No, there was no _way_ they would easily give into the proposed peace talks.

Sakura Haruno had no faith in the honour of the other great nations. As the night wore on and she grew more and more restless, she found the sunrise to be a sight sorely missed. As a Kunoichi, she'd spent many missions travelling to other places, but not since becoming a Jounin had she watched the sunrise with Konoha bathed in the orange tint of the early morning sun. A new era in the land of fire had begun, with this sunrise a hopeful sign of things to come.

She _hoped_ the other nations decided it was time to bring the killing to an end.

Sakura finished watching the sunrise, standing on the patio of her room, and then turned around to find that her best friend had snuck in to have a last minute "talk" with her. She still needed to decide between wearing a gorgeous lavender dress for the wedding, or a sleek black number to match her mood. She ran a hand through her short hair, pausing momentarily to grasp the ends.

"Naruto," she said scoldingly, "you're not supposed to be in here."

This was a room set aside for the dress and makeup of the "important" female guests. The bride was already ready, in an adjacent room, with her family. Naruto Uzumaki glanced in the direction he knew they were, and then focused his bright blue eyes on his best friend, a cheeky grin lighting up his handsome face.

"I know Sakura-chan, but I wanted to see my beautiful best friend one last time as a single man."

Sakura giggled softly. "In that case, you can help me decide what to wear."

He baulked. "Didn't you have your dress picked out days ago?"

She nodded her head, feeling emotional now. "I changed my mind about that dress. It didn't compliment me."

Naruto sighed, screwing up his nose. "You mean you had a wardrobe crisis and threw it out, right?"

The pinkette nodded her head and tears started to form in her emerald eyes.

"Sakura?"

"I'm sorry Naruto, I just wanted to look good for this. Not to steal the show of course, but I didn't want to show up in something hideous and ruin everything."

The tears were pouring out now and the blonde embraced her.

"Sakura…"

"I'm being stupid, I know."

He shook his head. "Nah, chicks are always tearing up at weddings."

She giggled again. "_At_ the wedding Naruto, not in the changing room."

He laughed, pulling away and squeezing her hand. "Come on, let's get you dressed."

They were incredibly comfortable with each other, having grown up together. They'd never dated, viewing each other too much like a sibling, but had seen each other naked, which was a confusing concept to wrap their heads around without the embarrassing memory _burned_ into their subconscious. It was a mission, there had only been one bathroom… no more need be said.

The dress Naruto helped Sakura pick out (there was a rack here her next best friend Ino Yamanaka had had set up, knowing she was in need) was champagne coloured, with simple tassel-like trimmings and a matching shawl. She still felt like she needed to wear _something_ black, so slipped into dark high heels and picked up the black purse she'd brought along when she thought she might wear a black dress. The material felt so delicate she worried it might tear, but the slip was at least comfortable against her skin.

Naruto admired her. "You look beautiful."

Sakura rolled her eyes. "You're not marrying me, _dobe_."

The reference to that nickname sobered the air. There was someone missing from today's celebration. He was still in Otogakure, and the pinkette missed him intolerably. He was a Konohagakure emissary and had been in the land of sound for several months. When he returned, Sakura intended to insist he never leave her again. His absence was another reason she was so down today. There was no way he'd return to Konoha just to watch Naruto get married. The two were currently not talking to each other, and the raven haired man knew how to hold a grudge.

In an effort to lighten the mood, Naruto started bobbing up and down, earning himself a grin from the pinkette.

"Let's leave before the bride exits the adjacent room, shall we?" Sakura asked, offering her arm to the blonde.

He took it and she half dragged him out of the room. This building was taller than the smaller structure next to it; the latter held the Shinto shrine in which Naruto was about to lose his freedom. They ambled down the staircase, strolled into the waiting room to the side of the entrance in the Shinto building, only to find that they were the first ones to arrive. The Shinto priest came in a moment later, sorted some last minute details with the groom, and left hurriedly.

"He's more excited about this than you are," Sakura said.

"Well, I _am_ the son of the fourth Hokage," Naruto said cheekily.

"You're getting married," Sakura told the bobbing blonde. "Stop acting like a four year old."

Naruto grinned maniacally. "Yeah, yeah Sakura-chan, like that'll ever happen."

She smoothed out the material of his montsuki haori hakama unnecessarily. He was so clean shaven, smelt so _good_, and had the overall look of a _civilised_ man, that she hardly recognised him. She giggled at that.

"At least you're admitting it."

He shrugged, now listening intently for the imminent arrival of the rest of his friends and surrogate family. Sakura went silent also, her gaze drifting out the window and to the light hint of dew on the glass. It was a few minutes before the blonde realised she was upset again.

"Please be happy for me Sakura," Naruto said softly, trying to stare into her eyes as she continued to look away from him.

She gave a deep sigh and nodded, forcing a smile onto her face and locking eyes with him again.

"I am happy for you Naruto. I'm just…"

She trailed off and he knew what she'd wanted to say. He took her hands in his and kissed her fingers softly.

"Teme will be back Sakura. Even _he's_ not so stupid as to let you down when it matters most." He paused, and then grinned. "Believe it."

She chuckled softly, smiling for real now; it was still a very sad one though. Watching Naruto excited about his imminent wedding vows, despite the fact that this was an arranged marriage made her grateful that her future would be of her own making. The blonde wasn't marrying some ugly harridan or anything at least, and Sakura was happy for them _both_. He was the son of the fourth Hokage. The last of his clan, the last of his family, and this union was going to be good for Konoha. This made Naruto happier than Sakura had seen him in a long time.

His bride had been chosen by the Hokage herself, since Naruto had no family left, and the legendary Sannin felt like he was her own anyway. Tsunade had chosen well, with a little _help_ from certain people of course. Sakura trusted them both on this. She grabbed Naruto and threw her arms around him, ignorant of the fact that they were _both_ well dressed and well groomed. She was in danger of creasing the smooth, silky material of her dress. Because she wasn't expected to do anything at this wedding, as the best friend of the groom, she felt confident in opting out of the traditional kimono. This wasn't _her_ day after all.

"I love you Naruto," she said, nuzzling his neck and feeling emotional again. "Never forget that, no matter what happens."

"Are you planning on attacking me again Sakura-chan?"

She laughed. "No you _baka_. But I will change my mind if you don't stop bobbing up and down. It's incredibly distracting."

He stopped moving. "Oops, sorry."

She pulled away as the sound of people entering the building reached their ears.

"Are you nervous?"

He nodded mutely. She sighed.

"Naruto!"

The voice belonged to master Jiraiya, Naruto's godfather and the man who singlehandedly tamed the Hokage. He was forever doing things to piss her off, but over time she'd decided to give him a go, but still refused to marry him. The blonde didn't want to settle down, in _any_ way. "I'm too young", she had cheekily told Sakura, as though the pinkette hadn't known her _real_ age; that vanity jutsu of hers notwithstanding.

"Pervy sage," Naruto nodded to him, and for once, the Sannin ignored the jab.

"Well well," the pervert said. "How are you feeling?"

"Better than you will be when granny finds out you came with a date that wasn't her."

Naruto motioned playfully to the Shinobi who'd followed the pervert into the room.

"Very funny Naruto," Kakashi Hatake said, holding the recent edition of Icha Icha, but not reading it.

He nodded to both of his former students. His eye twitching as he surveyed what Sakura was wearing.

"Sakura!" Jiraiya yelled, as though just noticing her. "You look beautiful! Are you going to get married next?"

"Come on Jiraiya," the silver haired Shinobi said lazily. "Out of here before we have to cancel the wedding due to structural damage done to the building."

Kakashi had noticed the clenching of Sakura's fists and half dragged the older man away.

"See you inside," Jiraiya called over his shoulder.

The pinkette lost all her anger and sighed. Naruto ignored the previous tension as the rest of his friends entered the waiting room: Kiba Inuzuka, slapping him on the back and congratulating him, Choji Akimichi embracing him gently, a reflection of his happiness and kind nature, and Shikamaru Nara smiling slightly, despite his reluctance to partake in such a _troublesome_ show of affection. They looked so grown up, all in their black suits and ready to have photos taken of them at a moment's notice.

The blonde glanced back at his best friend, noting that Sakura hadn't been able to hold back the tears after all and gave her a goofy grin, trying to cheer her up. He waved her over.

"Come on Sakura, you're not getting out of this."

There was no more reason to delay now. Traditionally, the actual wedding was performed only in front of family, friends, and co-workers, but this was a wedding that had all six great nations talking, ally or not, and officials from all over the land of fire as well as the land of sound had wanted to be a part of it. It was only after several tantrums from Naruto and drunken threats from Lady Tsunade that said officials agreed to only attend the reception (kekkon hiroen).

Everybody except for the bride and her father filed into the Shinto shrine and took their places. Kakashi stood next to Sakura and she nervously took his hand in hers, entwining their fingers, for comfort as the bride eventually entered.

Hinata Hyuuga looked beautiful, no _stunningly_ beautiful, in her shiromuku (white kimono). She was literally the most beautiful bride Sakura had ever seen and she felt herself crying the instant she laid eyes on the Hyuuga heiress as Hiashi accompanied her. Nearby, Hanari Hyuuga held Hanabi's hand, watching her eldest daughter tearfully; Neji and his parents, Hizashi and Nami Hyuuga were next to them, both men impassive while Nami teared up (a male Hyuuga trait… and freakishly inherited by Hanabi anyway).

Sakura cried the entire time. She did so quietly, squeezing Kakashi's hand every time either Naruto or Hinata glanced furtively at each other. How had she missed that? This wasn't just some arranged marriage for them.

'_No wonder Naruto was so happy. Why didn't he __tell__ me?'_

Maybe the idiot assumed she knew, or just "forgot".

They kissed; Sakura had to refrain from crushing Kakashi's hand. He ignored the renewed squeeze that would bring a lesser man to his knees in pain, but his eye twitched nonetheless. Once they moved to the reception, Sakura finally let go of her ex-Sensei's hand. The kekkon hiroen was fun and for awhile, Sakura forgot her own troubles, her sombre love life, and danced with each person who asked (even Kiba). Once the happy couple had left, after many hugs and well wishes, Sakura walked away from the building, still feeling emotional. Weddings did that. She went home, changed out of the dress, remembering to take that back to Ino's house and rested for awhile.

She didn't dream, and awoke shortly after noon, feeling miserable. Where had the morning gone? Sakura decided to take more aggressive action in her own happiness. Watching her best friend marry someone he was clearly smitten with had helped her realise she wanted that too. Every young girl wanted a perfect, fairy tale wedding, and today, Hinata had gotten that.

Sakura jumped out of bed, dressed in full ninja gear (which was expected even around the village) and left her apartment, remembering to place the seals over her windows and door. She needed to see Lady Tsunade. She _needed_ an excuse to take a mission and go to Otogakure.

… …

… …

He found himself watching the celebrations without taking part. It wasn't for the greater good, of this he was sure. How could anything that only strengthened the bond between Konohagakure and Otogakure be good? There was some sort of engagement, and having heard snippets of people talking about a wedding this morning, the man believed the bride had been from Otogakure. But seeing the people file into the Shinto shrine, he was surprised to see she was actually a Hyuuga.

Not that it mattered.

The man was only here to keep an eye on _her_. If he could get close to her, over power her, and take the pinkette away from here, he was certainly authorised to do so. His master wanted her. Sakura Haruno was the renowned medic that trained under and surpassed the legendary slug queen Lady Tsunade. But the idea that this slight of a woman had surpassed even her own Hokage was a stretch of the mind the man could not imagine. She was attractive of course, and that dress she'd worn definitely complimented her figure; a well toned body to be sure. But looking at her, he couldn't see the strong Kunoichi he'd heard so much about. She was _crying_ of all things.

The man shook his head, disgusted.

A medic: that was all she was, some girl who had become a formidable medic rather than an acceptable Kunoichi. That was what he believed at least, seeing her emotional outpouring while more seasoned Shinobi stood stoically. But Sunagakure was in desperate need of a formidable medic. There wasn't much time left, and this war was dragging on for too long. If he could just get the pinkette back to Suna, then his master would take her from there. His master, Gaara Sabaku, was the strongest of the hierarchy in Sunagakure and his reputation alone scared most people into submission. It would be a piece of cake to convince this insignificant Kunoichi to do what they _needed_ her to do.

Getting impatient, the man cast a henge on himself, grabbed a festival mask, and mingled with the party goers. It was morning, but not early, and the excitement of the wedding was still lingering in the air. Many civilians were still wearing the masks they had brought for this occasion, so he blended in nicely. Of course, these civilians were also suffering from hangovers or extreme fatigue from staying awake throughout the course of the night.

It was tradition in Konohagakure for the night before a wedding (especially such a high profile one) that the village would stop everything to celebrate. They took such events _very_ seriously, funnily enough, with the next few days promising to bring out the lethargy in the civilians and slow down in the ninja community. It was one straw short of continuing the celebration, as far as the man was concerned. But it made him smile slightly, despite himself. He was walking amongst the enemy, searching for a well known Kunoichi (who had disappeared into the crowd after departing the Shinto building) to kidnap and take to another country, and yet suddenly _feeling_ like he'd been a part of the night's festivities. He didn't let it affect him however, his eyes scanning the area through the slits in his mask. He wasn't familiar with her chakra signature, but fingered the photo in his pocket; it was of her from her Genin days.

He didn't need it now of course, having spotted her in that dress and knowing now what she looked like grown up. The pink hair was a definite give away. He would be lying to himself if he didn't admit she was a tempting piece of eye candy. But _no_, he was on duty.

The man decided to check out the ninja residential area and when the sun was at its peak, he spotted a flash of pink hair. She was in ninja gear now, and jumping from rooftop to rooftop, heading in the direction of the Hokage Building. He followed her without jumping onto the nearest building but quickly entered the Hokage's place, skirting through the shadows, noticing that (probably due to the celebrations) there was nobody around. The Hokage's office was higher up. He found the door easily, remembering that a Suna ninja had interrogated some civilian from the land of fire for information on something trivial only to discover the civilian had been a periodic visitor to the Hokage Building. This was how the man knew where he was going.

"Sakura, are you sure?"

The voice belonged to the Hokage. The man employed the strongest genjutsu he knew; it was his specialty (which was why he was specifically chosen for this mission). The two women on the other side of the door didn't hear him slip through an already open adjoining door to get closer. He could see them now.

Sakura nodded her head. "I need to go."

Tsunade sighed. "Well, I guess with the baka getting married and Sai and Yamato both indisposed on other missions starting tomorrow, I could send Kakashi along with you."

"No, I want to go alone."

"Sakura!" Tsunade scolded. "Never! We are still at war, or have you forgotten? Every ninja who leaves this village must be escorted, you _know_ this."

The pinkette lowered her head, and her shishou lost her aggravated tone.

"I'll assign a squad of ANBU and a few special Jounin to go with you."

"Thank you shishou."

"Oh don't thank me yet Sakura. When you arrive in Otogakure, I need you to pass a message onto that ridiculous excuse for a Senkage." The older woman grumbled. "Thinks he can just skip out on the wedding of the century. I know him; he didn't want me to pummel him for encouraging Jiraiya…"

She rambled on while Sakura waited patiently. Tsunade eventually calmed down.

"Give me time to get the team members ready for you, and the paperwork on the ANBU, the idiot council wants me to do from now on." The Hokage scratched her chin softly. "And no matter what, you _will_ come back by the end of the month, got it?"

The man moved away as the pinkette was dismissed, and unfortunately, Sakura quickly ran into some short haired brunette outside of the Hokage's room, deciding to join her friend, who was about to go for an early lunch. The pinkette spent the rest of the day in the company of others, making it impossible for the man to get her alone. So he resolved to not trying to grab her. He needed to find out her intended route and send a message back to Suna. This capture was going to take more than one Shinobi sneaking covertly into Konoha could handle.

… …

… …

The sand Shinobi had been travelling for days, heading through territory controlled by Konohagakure. But instead of the usual route, they intended to intercept an entourage of leaf ninja who were on their way to the land of sound. They needed to cut them off _before_ the Konoha Shinobi crossed the border. Their route took them close enough to Konoha though, and they had to deviate slightly so as to not come up behind their quarry.

Any Shinobi worth their salt would soon realise they were being followed. So intercepting them from the west was the best option, or at least, the one they'd managed to agree on. Still, this would put them dangerously close to the land of sound before intercepting their target, but it couldn't be helped. Less than ten minutes behind the sand Shinobi, another group from Suna was following in their wake. This was to prevent ambushes yes, but it was also back up; there was no telling which ninja the Hokage had sent to accompany Sakura Haruno.

The sand Shinobi were ANBU level, and a part of a special unit that combined high levelled tracking and assault capabilities. Their targets were always high priority. A quick message from their spy in Konoha and they found themselves having to personally take charge of this mission. There was too much at stake to let the star student arrive at her destination.

Unfortunately, one of the ninja in the leaf group had the Byakugan. That long brown hair was a trademark; he was in the bingo book. Neji Hyuuga was the most powerful member of his clan for generations; for his age of course. The ANBU tracking squad barely had time to set up their ambush before the entourage accompanying Sakura Haruno spotted them. Mia, the leader of the sand ninja, was also the cousin of the sand siblings; the nickname known far and wide for the children of the Kazekage. She was the strongest in her immediate family, but no match for a high levelled Hyuuga like Neji, let alone her red headed cousin. But knowing that another squad was right behind them, she attacked the enemy with everything she had.

Sakura could hold her own, beating into the enemy with chakra enhanced fists and deflecting thrown kunai with her own weapon. Neji activated his Byakugan and used his Hakkeshō Kaiten (the rotation technique). The fight was coming up good for them, and the clinking sounds of metal hitting metal hastened the arrival of the second squad: it consisted of four special Jounin and the older siblings of the infamous Gaara Sabaku. The pinkette hit a female sand ninja; she slammed into a tree. The blonde female in the new group looked especially pissed off at this, making Sakura wonder.

She moved into a new stance, the ANBU holding their ground as the blonde sand Kunoichi sent an unbelievably powerful gust of wind at the pinkette. She forced chakra to her feet, trying not to get blown away. This was an extremely powerful jutsu! A one eyed weasel had erupted from the woman's iron fan and the strange looking man next to her called out.

"Oi Temari! We need her alive you idiot!"

"Don't call me an idiot you freaky kabuki face painted loser!"

Sakura gawked at them as they argued. They were siblings, insane and after _her_!

"Neji," she murmured, as the first sand squad were all knocked out.

The Hyuuga nodded to her then indicated to the leaf ANBU who had accompanied them. It was only them and Neji who had accompanied Sakura. She'd insisted to the Hokage that a larger party would only draw more attention, and got her wish. Now she was kinda wishing she'd relented and brought the rest of Neji's team with her. He'd insisted on coming, his Byakugan constantly keeping an eye out and having noticed the enemy before the sand ninja could get the drop on them.

'_Thank Kami for small favours.'_

With her allies out of the way, Sakura slammed her fist into the ground at the same moment the siblings stopped their bickering. They really shouldn't have _both_ come out. They hadn't let their guards down however, and jumped out of the way of the destruction Sakura had just caused. But the sand ANBU, who had been much closer, were not so fortunate. Feeling proud of herself, Sakura did not notice at first they had another visitor.

"It's about time you got here," Kankuro said, his lips twitching as he struggled not to smirk at his younger brother.

The red head had his eyes trained on the pink haired Kunoichi, his expressionless face reminding her of the one she loved on her boyfriend. She shook herself out of this reverie and positioned herself, ready to fight, Neji standing nearby, in a Hyuuga fighting stance. But it was all for naught.

A wave of sand crashed down, tearing down trees and sweeping the leaf Shinobi out of the way. It cut them down, leaving them bleeding and battered as it lashed out, streaming toward the lone Kunoichi. The siblings of this man that Sakura suddenly realised was the infamous Gaara Sabaku, stood quietly, just watching her as she evaded the sand. It had gone for Neji first, torrents of the stuff erupting out of the ground beneath him, negating his most powerful trigram attack. But to his credit, he lasted longer than the ANBU who were targeted _after_ he was.

Those lavender eyes turned to see Sakura rolling out of the way of more sand and bleeding and knocked backwards _hard_, away from the battlefield, he could only watch. He tried to activate his Byakugan, but a stinging sensation shocked his body as he tried to use his chakra. His vision blurred, but he saw the sand wrap itself around Sakura's body, like a lover. He couldn't help her, fighting his own fatigue. It wasn't even a long battle! He had more fight than this! He couldn't comprehend the exhaustion that was claiming him.

Sakura saw him fall and cried out as the sand squeezing her body held her firmly.

Gaara appeared in front of her, in a flurry of sand and stared intently at her, his eyes raking her body. He was expressionless, but a slight twitch of the corner of his mouth indicated what he was thinking about. The pinkette couldn't fight anymore, surprised by her lack of energy, and closed her eyes, though not unconscious.

She could _hear_ what the sand ninja were saying as they relaxed, their mission complete.

"I don't think she's your type," Kankuro teased, noticing the way his brother was staring at the Kunoichi.

Temari chuckled slightly, her eyes raking over the barely contained expression on her baby brother's face. The sand ninja ignored that this conversation was not going unheard, not caring that there was still a conscious leaf Shinobi watching and listening, even though he could barely keep his eyes open. He felt like a failure, watching how easily the red head had taken control of the battlefield; he assumed this was the renowned son of the Kazekage – no-one had ever beaten him in battle.

He still felt like a failure.

Neji closed his eyes as Kankuro opened his big mouth again.

"Well if you're done here," he said cheekily, "why don't we bring our new _friend_ home, shall we?"

Gaara ignored his taunting, lifted the pink haired Kunoichi effortlessly using his sand, then turned, and disappeared into the darkening forest, forcing his siblings to collect their fallen comrades before following _his_ lead.

…

X X X

…

**A/N: Reviews, reviews! Oh how I love thee! What's just as good? Guessing what's going to happen, that's what. Bring it on! ;P  
><strong>**This was just the beginning… of course. The wedding was always going to happen here, just not in so much detail, so sorry if it seemed to drag on. I wanted it this way. Even though I opted not to put "mystery" on the genre, so much of what I put into the chapters has an underlying purpose. ^_^**

**R&R.**

**[**_*****_**]** Senkage: I got the "Sen" from the Japanese word senjō that literally means "battlefield". Appropriate I thought. Makes me think "fighting shadow", lol. (Kage means "shadow", 'case anyone's confused)

And yes, I know that neither Hinata nor Neji's mother is named in the canon.


	3. Prisoner of War

**A/N: Here it is my pretties, another chapter, just for you. ;)  
>Sorry I took so long to update. Anyway, I reposted chapter 1 because I realised I'd made a typo. I put in that Mia (the leader of the sand tracking squad, and my fav new OC), was the cousin of the Kazekage, then I indicated that the "red head" was her cousin. She's actually a cousin of the sand siblings and Gaara isn't Kazekage… makes no sense, ne? All fixed now. :) More confusing… Mia's a red head too, lol.<strong>

**Thanks to **Cindy Medeiros, gunitatsuhiko, xSakuraWings, StarKiss666, The Shadow Moon, lis (ANON), chococherryblossom,my-threesome** and **XBloodMageRikaX **for reviewing chapter 1.  
><strong>StarKiss666: **No, no jinchuriki here, and I checked the closet too, just in case, lol. No fun if Shukaku's always to blame, right? Nah, this Gaara just has an attitude problem. You'll find out what I mean soon enough.  
><strong>chococherryblossom: **Waaah! Why NOOOO to the wedding? Everyone loves a wedding! NaruHina rox, yeah! :D**

**Enjoy! ^_^**

…

– Chapter 2 –  
>.:. Prisoner of War .:.<p>

…

The first sensation of consciousness was just a vague impression; trees meant a forest. She was in a forest. Sakura Haruno could only see the blur of green through half opened eyes, but the smell gave it away. She was more than familiar with the scent of foliage, coming from a village hidden by said greenery. The fragrance was somewhat comforting as she took a few seconds to remember what had happened to her. She'd been travelling to Otogakure, entourage in tow and then… Neji!

She remembered him falling, the shift in the battle so sudden she'd barely had time to worry what had happened to him. Sakura tried to move her body, images of the Hyuuga fallen and bleeding coming to her mind. The panic did nothing to help her. Her body felt on fire, and she moaned, realising someone was carrying her. The only explanation was that she was suffering from the after affects of some kind of drug, but highly doubted some foreign substance had magically overwhelmed her system before she'd realised she'd ingested anything. It had to be the weak feeling of being drained of chakra.

Someone was carrying her alright; the red head who had knocked her out, the one she'd recognised immediately as Gaara Sabaku, called the demon of the sand by his enemies because of his control over sand, and the fact that no prey ever escaped his grasp. Sakura had always thought his nickname was overrated. She'd read about him; from the fact that he was only two months older than _her_, and the youngest of the infamous sand siblings, she couldn't believe he'd actually earned such a demonic reputation. Maybe he was an asshole, or some kind of delinquent, but not a _demon_. There was no such thing.

Sakura tried and failed to move again, the sand conjured by Gaara Sabaku holding her so gently, like a fine piece of china he was afraid of breaking. But the sand had a stubbornly powerful grip on her that even her inhuman strength wouldn't be able to break through. Sakura closed her eyes and tried to summon her chakra, not remotely surprised that it didn't come. The sand seemed capable of limiting how much she could use, which was a feet in and of itself. Laced around her body, the tightest grip it had seemed to be on her wrists; she was bound with the sand as one would expect to be bound with rope or wire.

But her struggles had not gone unnoticed and the red head halted the party, the other Suna ninja stopping immediately. Gaara placed Sakura down on the forest floor like she was a rag doll and she instinctively pulled her knees up to her chin in a defensive posture. She didn't expect him to apologise to her or offer her something to eat or drink, really. But as he moved away and the sand ninja started setting up a small camp, she was _very_ thirsty, sore, and uncomfortable; the sand tying her hands and feet together shifted slightly, like a snake would wind itself around its victim.

The red head glanced at her as her eyes drifted away from her wrists and their eyes locked. For a moment she thought he would come charging over to her and attack her or something (there was a barely contained look of _hunger_ about him right now that she couldn't repress the shiver of fear wracking her body). But eventually he turned away and the blonde Kunoichi who had to be Temari Sabaku stared at Sakura, _oddly_.

She wasn't used to seeing Gaara get so worked up over an enemy, let alone someone he knew. Gaara was not an expressive person, but for him, staring at the pinkette was for anyone else, the same as visibly drooling, or turning red from anger. This made Temari worry what he would do when they returned to Suna. They needed the pinkette cooperative, not that the blonde would blame the girl if she chose execution over helping them, but Temari decided to keep an eye on her, for her own sake. Gaara was a selfish man, and when he wanted something, nobody could stop him. A short while later Mia, Temari's cousin and best friend, came up to her.

"Temari-chan," Mia said, indicating to the tea the oldest Sabaku sibling had just finished brewing. "May I pass it around?"

Mia loved Temari's cooking, be it Green Sage Tea or roasted pork with chestnut soup, it didn't matter. Temari nodded to her cousin and Mia started to serve her lady, moving onto Kankuro and the sand ANBU. She earned herself a smirk from the blonde when she approached Gaara.

"Gaara no kimi **[**_*****_**] **," Mia said, bowing slightly and ignoring the way he frowned at the suffix, "you need sustenance as well."

Gaara shook his head and indicated to their captive; Sakura was barely listening, her eyes raking over the surrounding area as she tried to think of the best way of escaping. But her captors had thought this through and she wasn't going to be able to break free of her restraints, let alone get back to her entourage without the sand ninja following and just grabbing her again. She had been a captive once before, but that had lasted only a few minutes, as her enemy had seriously underestimated leaf ninja. He had died in excruciating pain. Sakura did _not_ take well to being underestimated.

It was the pink hair; it had to be the pink hair. It was always the _bloody_ pink hair.

But this was different, she knew it; this enemy knew of her abilities and took every precaution to ensure she would not be able to access her inhuman strength, let alone enough chakra to stop herself from falling over with exhaustion. She was completely dependent on this _Gaara_, and the feeling of helplessness was bubbling inside of her in a fury. But the pinkette kept her anger in check. When the time was right, she would take it out on him, and _his_ entourage. She snapped her head around as one of the sand ninja walked casually over to her.

"You have a little chakra."

It was the red head that Sakura had hit during the ambush that approached her. She knelt down next to the pinkette; her face was hidden of course, the porcelain mask in place, despite the chakra infused punch. She had hit the Kunoichi in the stomach, but the force of her attack had not broken anything, unfortunately. This woman was tough, but Sakura could tell she was still aching from barely healed internal damage. There were obviously no medical ninja amongst the present sand ninja.

"Gaara left you a little chakra to heal your wounds," the girl said. "My name is Mia, by the way."

Why was she being so friendly? She was the enemy after all. Maybe the force of her impacting that tree had addled her brain. Sakura looked up at her uncertainly. She didn't want to be lulled into a false sense of security. For whatever reason, these ninja had attacked her and kidnapped her; she wasn't in the mood to play nice with them. The pinkette frowned at the girl named Mia. But still, if she behaved for a few minutes, maybe she could figure out _why_ they wanted her.

"Sakura," she said softly.

"I know who you are," Mia said, "everyone does."

Sakura nodded, understanding. "Why am I here?"

"I can't tell you, sorry. But you'll find out soon enough. Lord Gaara is responsible for your safety, and he won't let anything happen to you, as long as you're cooperative, so don't worry, okay?"

"You're a sand ninja, I'm not going to believe anything you say," Sakura said, unnerved by these niceties. "I'm not weak," she added.

"I do not doubt your skills," Mia said. "Your reputation–"

"Is that why you kidnapped me, because of my _reputation_?"

'_Okay, screw being nice.'_

She didn't have the energy, let alone the motivation right now, and a sickening sensation twisted her stomach every time this girl tried to play nice with her.

Mia didn't answer her question. "Do you want some tea? Temari makes the best Green Sage Tea in the land of wind."

"What happened to the ninja accompanying me?" Sakura asked, ignoring _her_ question.

"The ANBU or the cutie?" Mia asked and the pinkette raised her eyebrows at this.

"You mean Neji Hyuuga," Sakura said. "And I mean _all_ of them."

"They should survive."

'_Should?'_

Sakura grunted at her.

"The Hyuuga was strong," Mia said, "so more than likely he'll recover; the ANBU, less likely, but still good odds. Lord Gaara's attacks are not without mercy after all. If he wanted them dead, they would be. Are you sure you don't want any tea?"

"You sound like a fan."

"He's my cousin. So are Temari and Kankuro. We grew up together."

"But you still have to call him Lord?"

Mia frowned at the pinkette behind her mask. "It is the law. But I do it because I respect him, I respect them all."

"Law?"

The ANBU sighed. "If you don't want the tea I'll take it myself."

Sakura hesitated. What was the chance it was drugged?

"It's perfectly safe," the red head said, as if reading her thoughts.

Sakura sighed, and nodded her head. "I'll take it."

"Good. You'll need your strength."

The pinkette opened her mouth to ask her _why_, but Mia left her quickly, moving over to Temari, the blonde who was staring oddly at Sakura... again. Another ANBU brought her the tea and she drank it slowly, taking in her surroundings again. By her estimate, they had travelled for maybe a day and a half. It amazed her that whatever this _Gaara_ had done to her had knocked her out for so long. She could feel the minute chakra Mia had been talking about; it was barely enough to heal surface wounds. But the sand hadn't hurt her all that much, just scratches and light bruises from her struggling. It would seem, that whatever they wanted her for, they needed her healthy at least.

She thought about that.

Even though she'd like to think she was worth more than just the medical aspect of her training as a Kunoichi, Sakura was a renowned medic. Her healing skills always seemed to be the first thing people thought of when her name came up, and when they met her. So it was more than a possibility that this was the reason she was still alive. Kankuro… that was his name: he'd told Temari, when she was fighting them, that they needed her alive. Sakura remembered how annoyed he was when the blonde had attacked her with a potentially lethal jutsu.

Sakura's eyes drifted over to Gaara.

He was sitting apart from everyone else as his siblings and cousin seemed to huddle together, the few ANBU who had survived the ambush sitting nearby. The future Kazekage didn't turn to look at her, but the moment she looked in his direction, she could've sworn he stiffened slightly. She pulled on the sand constricting her wrists and his head moved to the side slightly as though trying desperately not to turn and look at her. So he could feel what she was doing to the sand then?

Interesting.

Sakura lifted her hands and–

"Stop it."

The suddenness of Gaara's voice, echoing slightly over the area caught everyone by surprise. They all looked around at the sound as he glared in Sakura's direction without looking directly at her. She obediently let her hands fall into her lap and lowered her eyes. Eventually, the others stopped staring at them and turned away again, except for Kankuro, who moved closer to the fire, keeping Sakura in his peripherals as he pulled a puppet out of the summoning scroll on his back. She watched him, intrigued by the contraption. It distracted her from what had just happened and helped her hide the heated blush that had crept up on her.

He had spoken! She'd just heard Gaara's voice for the first time and felt her body tremble slightly. His voice was deep but not too deep, husky but not coarse, and so… she didn't know any other way to describe it. This sudden infatuation was difficult to suppress and she had to close her eyes and block out _everything_. The night sounds died out in her ears and even the feel of the grass beneath her disappeared. She needed to get a hold of herself! Sakura tried to find a comfortable position and get a few hours rest at least, the exhaustion from having her chakra drained aiding her slip into unconsciousness.

Eventually, the camp noises died down, (not that they were thunderous to begin with, being in enemy territory) and Gaara was the only one left awake. The pinkette had drifted off also, but he heard her stirring a few hours later, as though she wasn't used to the forest floor as her bed. He glanced over at her, watching the way she squirmed against his sand as an automatic reflex. He imagined she was trying to break it mentally, since every physical attempt she made ultimately proved futile. He admired her resolve to never give up, and never accept her fate. In another time and place, he might have considered courting her; he preferred the spirited woman to the fancy, freeloading type his father was pressuring him to marry.

Too bad.

Her earlier attempt to see how far he'd go when she squirmed against the sand bothered him and perhaps it was best that she was an enemy. He needed to get these traitorous thoughts out of his head. Still, her body was nicely shaped; the lean musculature that was obvious from her Kunoichi training did not rob her of her womanly figure, even if she wasn't remotely buxom. She was a healthy blend of all the right _aspects_.

Gaara looked away from her as she sensed his eyes on her and when he looked back, he realised she was staring, her lips parted slightly as if appraising him. The arrogance radiated off of him. He wasn't smirking, but inwardly, Sakura was sure he was grinning maniacally. She rolled her eyes and turned her body to face away from him, trying to get comfortable again.

After a few moments, Gaara made a decision and walked silently over to the pinkette. He'd done this so quickly and quietly that she hadn't heard him and was startled when she felt his fingers touching her wrist. His eyes on hers, he shifted the sand binding her and lifted her hand to level with their staring match, as though emphasising a point.

"You cannot break chakra infused sand," he said simply.

She swallowed heavily, _very_ aware of his proximity to her. "Chakra infused sand?"

Gaara nodded. She had heard about him, revealing no surprise by his explanation of how and why her attempts to break free were failing. He could see it on her face. She knew all about him, even beyond what was listed in the Konoha version of the bingo book. Had she studied him excessively or just accidentally come across information that was a Kage level secret? He didn't consider who he was much worthy of being some kind of inter-country secret, but because of his power and position, the leaders of the great nations treated him like someone twice his age with far more experience than he could actually boast.

The strongest sand Shinobi in generations they called him, and all at the age of twenty-one years. He had had his birthday only a few days before receiving the message from their spy in Konoha. Speaking of which, that Shinobi was due to leave and return home soon. His mission there was over after all. They knew very well how to sneak someone into the village hidden in the leaves, but hanging around inside their walls would only draw suspicion. Gaara drew his attention back to the pinkette.

"It will restrict how much chakra you can use," he explained, dropping her hands into her lap as she looked down at it finally. "If you try to use more than it allows, it will not work."

She half expected him to tell her it would shock her, or at least start draining her chakra or something like that. He walked away from her and she was disappointed. She wanted to converse more with the man, and hear that _godly_ voice again. At the same time she had this thought, Sakura mentally slapped herself. When that girl, Mia, had tried to talk to her, she'd felt disturbed. But now here she was, wanting to talk with the very man who had made her capture possible!

She shivered. That sand attack of his could take out an army.

Sakura continued to stare at him however, trying to figure out what she was going to do once they arrived in Suna. There was no avoiding that she was going to be brought before the Kazekage, questioned, and possibly tortured, for whatever the reason was that she'd been targeted. Gaara looked over at her and again, their eyes locked. All of a sudden, he didn't like that she was staring at him again. He moved his hand slightly and the sand holding tightly to her moved the pinkette to roll away from him. She gave a disgruntled yelp but the red head ignored her complaint and just told her to get some sleep.

… …

… …

The sight of Suna rising on the horizon was heaven to the sand ninja. The ANBU at least, had been coming and going in this region for a while now, and it was good to be home finally. Of course, this meant that Sakura Haruno, their leaf captive, was in for hospitality fit for a criminal. She was a prisoner of war, and knew she would be treated as such. But she wondered about the confinement protocols of Sunagakure; there wasn't exactly going to be a suite waiting for her that was fit for a queen. She just hoped she would have access to a bathroom.

'_Kami, please let there be a bathroom.'_

Glancing sideways at Mia, she noted that the red head was signalling the guards from a distance. Gaara had a grip on Sakura's elbow, having taken a hold of her the moment they left the forest and entered the desert. There was no leaf tracking squad after them, and the vastness of the sands was such that she wouldn't be able to get far, so she wondered at the reasons for grabbing her. She couldn't pull on the sand this way, so maybe that was it. At least he'd spared her the indignation of being carried into Suna over his shoulder or something.

Her legs were burning already in the heat of the sun, and all of a sudden, Sakura found her steps growing heavier and heavier. She was suddenly terrified beyond words by what awaited her.

"Lord Gaara," a Shinobi jumped down from his lookout post as they arrived at the entrance, greeted the rest of Gaara's siblings and then the ANBU. His eyes flickered over Sakura before returning to the future Kazekage. "The council awaits you and wishes to speak with you alone. They will debrief you before meeting with your captive, sir."

Gaara nodded, but didn't release his hold on Sakura; the guard disappeared. Gaara pulled on the pinkette, Temari and Kankuro following while the ANBU squad, including Mia, also disappeared, using Shunshin. Sakura took note of the sandstone buildings as they jumped from rooftop to rooftop, her eyes flickering to the people watching them as they passed by. Did everyone know who she was by sight? Yeah, yeah, it was the pink hair. They stopped outside the doors to a large building. It dwarfed the surrounding structures and was clearly the administrative central of Sunagakure. Sakura looked up at it, her eyes flickering over the towering sight.

"Stay here," Gaara said, releasing his hold on the pinkette and disappearing into the building.

Kankuro and Temari flanked Sakura, but neither of them grabbed a hold of her. They didn't need to.

Inside the council building, Gaara ignored the usual servants who bowed at his approach and knocked on the council room doors before being allowed entry. The twelve members of the Sunagakure council sat on either side of the long rectangular table. Arō Sabaku, the fourth Kazekage, was nowhere to be seen. Gaara kept that particular concern to himself as he surveyed the representatives apathetically. The first to speak to him was Councillor Kokome. She was the eldest of the Suna councillors. She was also the first to accept Gaara's official title of Kaze-heika **[***_*****_**]**, which was only a posh way of saying that Gaara Sabaku was going to be the next Kazekage. She had always been fond of him. She didn't know anyone who wasn't looking forward to see what his Suna would be like.

"Welcome Lord Gaara. I trust you have the girl in custody?"

"Yes Councillor Kokome," Gaara said, bowing only slightly.

"We wish to discuss the matter of her persuasion with you before speaking with her." His name was Sakyou; a man more concerned with propriety than doing the right thing. "And the accommodations for our newest prisoner. You are to escort her to the Nadir Levels of the prison blocks. We have discussed her confinement and persecution with the Interrogation Core–"

"No," Gaara said firmly.

He didn't bother to elaborate. There was no way he was going to sanction torture.

"Excuse me," Sakyou said haughtily. "Sakura Haruno is a prisoner of war, and a highly profitable one at that. If she can–"

"_No_," Gaara repeated, more sternly this time.

He knew for sure that his father would not want to resort to torture until all other options were depleted either, not in this circumstance. Speaking of which, where was the old man anyway?

Gaara frowned slightly as the councillors hesitated in their come back to his gruff reply. They were afraid of him, to a point, because despite his normally calm exterior, they had personally witnessed his ruthlessness in battle. He was more merciful than his reputation painted him to be, but when the fight was to the death, he approached it with vigour.

Eventually however, Aruma spoke up.

"There is no reason to delay," he said, stroking his beard. "Just force the girl to help, it is as simple as that."

"There is time," Gaara said.

"You would value _her_ welfare over your–"

"She is a Jounin level Kunoichi from the village hidden in the leaves," Gaara reminded them, sounding more patient than he really was. "Not some weakling civilian who merely requires a torture genjutsu or a trip to the interrogation chambers to give what we are looking for. _Convincing_ her to co-operate is the only way, _not_ torturing her. She would gladly give her life, her sanity and her body to defy her enemy, as any ninja of Suna would in her place."

Councillor Satsumi nodded her head. "I see what you mean. I am sure this is not some simple Kunoichi we are dealing with here. She _was_ trained by the legendary Lady Tsunade after all, and we cannot treat her like a weakened dog that is easily overpowered."

There were murmurs of agreement, finally, and Gaara inwardly sighed with relief. He could admit to himself that he didn't want to hurt the pinkette, but they _needed_ her help. She needed to be convinced, to _want_ to help, and he knew that torturing a Kunoichi never endeared co-operation, especially considering the delicate nature of what he was going to ask her to do.

He was grateful to Satsumi, as he often was to the only councillor he was related to, albeit distantly. Kokome had proved time and time again that she had a soft spot for Gaara, but it was Satsumi who most often than not agreed with him, or his father, over the others.

'_And they're the only women on the council,' _Gaara mused silently to himself. Perhaps there was a reason behind all this, but he decided to ignore the implications.

"Just remember," Councillor Aruma said, snapping Gaara's thoughts back to the meeting at hand. "You are _not_ the Kazekage yet. Your influence in affairs of the state is limited, so do not test this council. Understood?"

Gaara nodded, though they could all tell he was annoyed. If they really _did_ want him to succeed his father, then they should be lending him their ear more than they were and not assuming he didn't have a voice at all. He had been chosen eventually as the Kaze-heika mostly because of his power and skills as a Shinobi, but he possessed the intelligence to run the village and they _knew_ it. It was his attitude that they truly disliked. Still, he wasn't trying to be disrespectful. But three full days of travelling took its toll, even on him. The councillor recognised this and waved to him.

"You may go. We can speak with the young Kunoichi you have brought us when you are both rested."

"Thank you Councillor Kokome."

"Do be sure to visit your father, Lord Gaara," Kokome said, as the red head turned to leave. "He has been asking of your return."

Gaara nodded and left the council chambers. Why did Arō Sabaku not come out to greet him? This was strange. The red head returned to where his siblings were waiting for him however, remembering that the leaf Kunoichi was still with them. The sand, ever present on her wrists, was a part of him, and he felt the sudden upsurge of chakra running through her. Gaara hurried back to the entrance hall, just in time to see Sakura's hand enveloped in chakra before she slammed her fist into Kankuro's face. The puppet master went flying, crashing into a pillar almost nine feet away.

Incensed, Sakura turned away from him, but upon noticing Gaara, did not lose her angry expression. Only a foot away, Temari was chuckling. Apparently, she agreed with the pinkette's actions, which diminished Gaara's concern that Sakura was about to turn around and hit his sister as well. He made the sand on Sakura's wrists constrict her movements and she winced, as though stung. But he knew very well it had caused her no pain. She was still angry and the sudden and immediate pull on her chakra, coupled with her fury, was what stung her. It would seem that as a bleed through effect of him allowing her enough chakra to heal her wounds, she'd been able to siphon even more over the last day and a half, building it in her body without him realising it.

He needed to tighten his grip on her.

"Wipe that expression off your face," Temari told her baby brother as Sakura started to visibly relax. "He had it coming."

"Tend to him," Gaara told her and she sighed deeply before complying.

Sakura looked up at the red head, still surprised at the way Gaara ordered around his _older_ siblings and the fact that they obeyed him. Suna had a very unusual system for determining the chain of command; but of course, it was his power and stature that afforded him the luxury of bossing everyone around. She grunted at this.

"Why did you attack him, knowing you couldn't escape?" Gaara asked, staring impassively at the pinkette. He really was very curious about her answer.

She growled, thinking about that _comment_. It was so lewd, so crass, so... _vulgar_! The red head looked surprised at her suddenly, and Sakura slammed her fist into the wall behind her, wishing she still had access to her chakra, even limited.

"Because you Sabaku men are disgusting, you _pervert_."

Gaara suppressed a chuckle. It made him want to know what Kankuro had said or done, but decided he would ask his brother later, rather than the pinkette. He smiled slightly. Kankuro could be the crassest person Gaara knew, but he _was_ surprised that the man would make a pass at an enemy Kunoichi. It didn't matter. Gaara took Sakura by the elbow again and shunshined them into the prison building. He refused to bend to the will of the council when it came to torturing Sakura, but there was no getting around her _accommodation_, at least not yet. For now, this was where she was going to stay.

The Nadir Levels of the prison blocks meant "lower" in the fact that it was out of the way and underground. It was the accommodation for prisoners of war and V.I.P prisoners, which wasn't saying much, really. The room Gaara led the pinkette into was a rectangular room with tall steel bars for walls, much like in the olden days, and the door was half way between bars and solid. There was no distinction between civilian and ninja captives, as all Shinobi or Kunoichi who entered here had their chakra blocked, in one form or another.

"_This_ is my prison?" Sakura asked, appalled at the lack of comfort, let alone toiletries, as Gaara opened the door. "What about the upper levels? At least take me somewhere I can–"

"It is for your own protection," Gaara stated dispassionately.

Sakura frowned. "Protection from whom?"

"Sunagakure will soon play host to foreign allies," he said, pushing her almost gently and backward into the cell. "It is the Kazekage's duty to inform them of our Konohagakure captive. Many among them bear ill will toward your people for your alliance with Otogakure and may try to harm you. These Nadir cells are out of the way and as you saw coming down here, are guarded. Only authorised personnel are allowed down here."

She snorted. "I would be no safer in here than in quarters of my own."

Gaara closed the cell door, staring through the bars and straight into her emerald orbs.

"Such a luxury must be earned."

She frowned. "How?"

He opened his mouth slightly to respond and then thought better of it. It would do no good to give her time to over think this. He needed her help and springing his question on her sounded better than giving her the time to come up with excuses not to do so.

She noticed his hesitation. "You want me to heal someone, don't you?"

Reluctantly, he nodded his head.

"Who?"

"You will find out soon enough."

Sakura gripped the bars of her cell. "And if I refuse?"

She was a smart girl, he thought, shouldn't she know the answer to that question? But he indulged her nonetheless, his eyes never leaving hers.

"Then you will be executed."

…

X X X

…

**A/N: Phew! I've gotta get used to these 5000+ word chapters. Killed my head with this chapter, but it's early days yet and we haven't gotten to the parts that I'm most looking forward to. But the next chapter shouldn't take as long as this one did, barring anymore migraines of course. *sighs*  
><strong>**Anyway, this chapter isn't rushed, though it feels that way to me. It's just important to get these initial concerns out of the way and get into the juicy bits. ;)**

**R&R.**

**[**_*****_**] **no kimi: a suffix from Japanese history used to entitle Lords and Ladies in the Court.

**[***_*****_**] **heika: is used for sovereign royalty. I know it's not accurate, but I wanted it to reflect the fact that Gaara is treated as sovereign royalty, even though there's no such thing as a prince in ninja villages. It's just a reference to the fact that he will one day succeed his father as Kazekage. Kaze-heika basically meaning here "the next Kazekage".


	4. Bonding With the Wrong Brother

**A/N: Updating is almost as much fun as getting reviews! :)  
>There's just something about FINALLY completing a chapter that makes the cramp in my hand feel like it was all worthwhile, lol. At least I finished it faster this time… I think. I forget. I don't know. Maybe. Anyway, hope you love this chappie! I found myself on a roll, so I wrote most of it in the last 24 hours, so love it dammit! ;)<strong>

**Thanks to** xSakuraWings, Hellcleaner, StarKiss666, Cindy Medeiros, jk (ANON), my-threesome, (unnamed ANON), XBloodMageRikaX, Nicola Alexi, **and** SapphireRivulet **for reviewing chapter 2.**

xSakuraWings: **I don't think I've told you how much I love getting your reviews. So yeah, I LOVE GETTING YOUR REVIEWS! They're everywhere… ;)**  
>StarKiss666:<strong> I love your reviews too! So fun, lol. And your question will be answered soon enough... Just not yet. :)<br>**Cindy Medeiros **and **jk:** you'll find out… hmm, soon... maybe? ^^**

**Enjoy! ^_^**

…

– Chapter 3 –  
>.:. Bonding With the Wrong Brother .:.<p>

…

Sakura Haruno tossed and turned on the Tatami mat that was doubling as a pathetic excuse for a mattress. She couldn't get comfortable for hours after Gaara left. When facing possible death on the battlefield she could bend the flow of the battle in order to circumvent it, but facing execution at the hands of the enemy while incarcerated, for not committing treason… She would never betray the leaf, but this was so far out of her control that it made her wish she was on that battlefield instead. Anything would be preferable to the thought that her future was not of her making. She had Naruto Uzumaki to blame for that. Somehow, while growing up with the knucklehead, she'd developed some of his traits, like the preference for combat over politics. The blonde never did have the head for something like that.

And thinking about her life in Konoha was messing with her thoughts. She was more than three days out of the leaf, so they knew she was missing, right? Sakura groaned, forcing her eyes to stay shut as she thought of Sasuke as well. She missed him, but was angry at him as well. If he had just come home when he'd said he would. If he hadn't left things between them like he had, she would never have doubted his heart enough to worry if he would ever return. That man was impossibly frustrating! And somehow, Gaara reminded her of him: that indifferent exterior, those calculating eyes – that deep, sensual voice.

Sakura rolled over again, trying to rid her head of these thoughts. She wasn't thinking of having some kind of rebound relationship with Gaara… Sure, it had been several months since she'd seen Sasuke, and _he_ was the one who suggested they use the time a part from each other to take a break from each other. Their relationship had been rocky for awhile. But he was an Uchiha, so it hadn't really been a suggestion. It made her wonder if Gaara was involved with anyone…

'_He's the enemy you idiot! Shut up and get some fucking __sleep__!'_

She wanted to sleep blissfully, with nothing disturbing the emptiness, but the dreams came nonetheless. In the first one, she was happily married to Sasuke Uchiha, but in the second one, she'd run away from him to be with Gaara Sabaku. She couldn't win; her head and heart were all over the place. She woke groggily and found herself staring at the wall, but didn't bother to move. The pinkette desperately needed and _wanted_ to return home. But she was trapped, smelt bad from her time in a dingy cell, and couldn't access her chakra.

There was no way out, and that very fact brought tears to her eyes: not sobbing tears, but not silent either.

"Good morning Sakura."

Sakura jerked her head suddenly, rolled away from the wall, and lifted her tired eyes to take in the form of the puppet master, Kankuro. He too, just like his little brother, had a reputation throughout the ninja nations. Word had it that he could poison his opponent before they even spotted him. She wondered if that was true, or just an example of an embellished reputation. Just like the one that painted Gaara as some kind of demon. She grunted her response to Kankuro, sitting up shakily. Her first night in this cell had been more uncomfortable than spending an entire afternoon in Jiraiya's company when all he wanted to do was perve on women in the bath houses. She wiped at her face, remembering the silent tears. Kankuro ignored them, knowing she would just glare at him for mentioning it.

He really didn't want to give her more reason to hate him.

But she ignored his greeting, her eyes drifting to the floor now, as though he wasn't even there.

Kankuro knew that the council were intending to speak with Sakura after she'd rested, but soon thereafter found themselves swamped with meetings and paperwork upon the early arrival of the Iwagakure dignitaries. So they would probably be too busy for another couple of days still. He had heard this from Gaara, as he hadn't been there when they'd arrived. Already the nobles from Iwa were calling for the head of the leaf Kunoichi, despite the fact that it would be a premature act on their part. She'd only just got here after all.

A guard walked in, glanced at Kankuro, and then left Sakura's breakfast in her cell before leaving without saying a word. Sakura had ignored him as well. She didn't even look at the food he'd brought her. The silence in the room was palpable, but the puppet master had no intention of breaking it. He was down here because of Gaara. _Always_ it was because of Gaara. So much of what happened in Suna these days seemed to be because of the Kaze-heika. Sakura sniffled softly before breaking the silence, her eyes still on the ground.

"Why are you even here?"

"I'm sorry," he said, staring at her. "I was out of line yesterday."

"Yes, you were. But why are you apologising to me now?"

"I feel guilty," Kankuro said, shrugging his shoulders. "And I told Gaara what I'd said to you and he gave me one of his looks."

Sakura looked up at him, suddenly perking up when the red head's name was mentioned. Kankuro noticed this but ignored it. She was clearly smitten, like all women who grace the younger man's company were. His attitude would then drive the sensitive, uptight ones away and he'd be left with the ones who knew how to play dirty, or some who were so thick skinned you could ride them for hours and they wouldn't even chafe.

Kankuro chuckled softly at that.

"He gave you… a look?" Sakura asked, ignoring the puppet master's inexplicable mirth.

Kankuro nodded. "It was his 'apologise or I'll kill you' look."

"Not, _kill you_ kill you, right?"

"Make me wish he had maybe."

Sakura smiled at him. "You are really, _very_ strange, Kankuro."

"Better than a crass jerk?"

She laughed despite herself. "Okay, you're forgiven if you do something for me."

"Depends on what that is."

"Let me out to use the bathroom."

"I'll get a guard to escort you," Kankuro said, and indicated to the breakfast the silent one had brought her. "Eat."

Sakura gladly ate the food; bacon, eggs, toast and a glass of milk. She wondered why they weren't giving her stale bread and filthy water, but wasn't going to complain. She already knew they wanted her to heal someone, so this was more than likely, just a reason to keep her healthy. Gaara had said she needed to earn her release from this dingy prison. But she'd made a promise to herself that if anything they asked of her was remotely related to Konoha or this war they weren't going to get anything out of her. Kankuro watched her eat, but wasn't blatantly staring, and she wondered about him. He seemed nice enough. When that girl, Mia, had tried to make nice with her, Sakura had felt disturbed. She had thought it was just Gaara's effect on her that made her like speaking to him, but here was Kankuro, apologising for being a jerk and making her smile.

'_Maybe what I have is a Sabaku infatuation.'_

She certainly hoped not.

Sakura thought about her predicament, wondering if there was some way to take advantage of it. She'd heard Ibiki Morino often talk about prisoners who believed they were entitled to information because they weren't getting out of Konoha alive. This excuse always made him laugh of course, but the pinkette found it enlightening right now. She supposed Suna wasn't just going to let her go, but if she could just use whatever they wanted her for leverage she might just get something out of all of this after all.

'_Before they __kill__ me.'_

One problem at a time.

"Aren't you supposed to hand me over to your Kazekage, or council, or something?" She asked, pushing away the remnants of her meal without standing up.

"Later," he said, "when the old farts aren't knee deep in politics."

She giggled. "And you're down here to keep an eye on me?"

"I'm just making sure you're okay."

"I'm fine. I'll be great if you'd let me out of this cell."

He shook his head. "Nuh-uh, not going to happen."

"And Gaara?" Sakura asked, trying not to show how _much_ she wanted to see the younger Sabaku. "Is he going to check to see if I'm okay? He told me I'm here to heal someone; care to elaborate?"

"I can't do that Sakura."

She sighed. "And what of the dignitaries? Do you think they're going to want me dead?"

"Probably." Kankuro frowned at her. "I shouldn't be telling you that."

"Why not?" She asked. "Who am I going to tell?"

Sakura stood shakily, and then walked over to the door to her cell, gripping the bars fiercely. "Do you know what happened to the team I was with?"

Kankuro shook his head. "No. But Konoha should realise you're missing soon, if they don't already." He sighed. "Come on Sakura, you should rest. I'll send guard by soon to take you to the bathroom, I promise."

Kankuro needed to get away from the pinkette. She would ask him a question and he would answer. He wanted to tell her everything, to tell her why she was in Suna and what she needed to do to appease the council so they would let her go. Arō Sabaku had the final say on the fate of their prisoner, but if they wanted to, the council could easily overrule him. The puppet master couldn't wait until his father retired and Gaara took on the mantle. Those old farts were not going to find the red head as easy to go around, that was for sure.

He left Sakura to her thoughts, making a mental note not to tell _anyone_ just how much he had already told her.

… …

… …

The guards left in a huff.

Sakura had been in the dingy cell for almost three days now, with no idea what was going on: two days on from the last time she'd seen anyone other than guards. These lackeys had taken her to the bathroom, given her time to freshen up, and then marched her back into this cell. This time however, she'd gotten the drop on them, taking out her frustration on them, not caring that someone like Gaara, or even Kankuro, would make her pay for it later. She was so pissed off, and her temper wasn't going to ease on its own. Subconsciously, she supposed however, that she had hoped that Gaara would sense what she'd done and come running down here. A slight constriction of the sand around her wrists was all she got to tell her to behave.

Yeah, she could admit to herself that she wanted to see him. She hadn't seen Kankuro for two days either. After she had put the squeeze on him for information, she figured he'd been too wary that she might be able to do it again. He seemed unusually pliable when it came to giving information for such a renowned ninja. Perhaps he just didn't take her seriously. She wanted to find out what his deal was almost as much as she wanted Gaara to come back down to this cell, even if it was just to berate her for her mistreatment of the guards. She'd left them with no doubt as to the fact that she would no longer let them treat her like some kind of _pet_, just here to be fed, bathed and patted on the head.

It was infuriating!

But the third morning on from her incarceration, it wasn't Gaara who came down to make sure she started taking care of herself. It was Kankuro. He looked like he'd rather be anywhere else, but greeted her like she was a friend. Perhaps he really _was_ worried about opening his big mouth again.

"I thought you might like to take a bath," he said evenly. "Just because you're our captive doesn't mean you need to–"

"No thank you," she said haughtily. Really, what did it matter anymore? She was just going to be shoved back into this cell, to soak in the stench once more. "Go away."

"Can't Saks," he said and grabbed one of the nearby wooden chairs to sit on. "I've been ordered to give you anything you need."

She scoffed at that. The renowned puppet master had been reduced to entertaining a lowly captive.

"I find that hard to believe."

"It's true," he said. "I'm here under orders, and I'm not leaving until you agree to look after yourself."

"Fine, I agree, now go away."

There was no strength in her voice, but her expression told him that she wasn't willing to back down on this one. She had seemed so agreeable the other day, but her incarceration, along with nothing stimulating to occupy her mind, was wearing thin on her. He understood really. If it hadn't been for the duty rosters he'd had to personally see to over the last two days, Kankuro believed he'd have gone mad with boredom. The dignitaries were currently being apprised by the Kazekage and the council on the specifics of why Sunagakure had gone out of their way to kidnap the Gondaime's prized apprentice. It wasn't the kind of news one received every day. That was another reason Kankuro had been told to come down here. Today was the day the council would finally speak personally with their captive. They made it all sound so fancy, like they were such a big deal, but he often found respecting them to be impossible. They were just a lot of old farts to him. He always kept this to himself though, leaving it to Gaara to tell them what they _needed_ to hear, and not necessarily what they _wanted_.

Kankuro sighed. "I can't do that Saks."

She groaned, clenching her fists. They wouldn't even tell her what she was doing here in the first place! So how was she expected to believe they weren't going to just execute her for the sake of it? They had gone to great lengths to head her off in the forest. She'd spent the last two days going over it in her mind and couldn't see _how_ they'd known where she would be. It was fishy, and she was determined to find out what they were hiding from her. Her friend, Ino Yamanaka, was a gossip queen, so Sakura had learnt a thing or two on how to get to other people's secrets. From trading information to offering incentives… Sakura mentally slapped herself. Why didn't she think about that earlier? She climbed to her feet and grabbed the metal of her bars as the Sabaku eyed her warily.

"I'll go to the bathroom if you tell me why you kidnapped me."

Kankuro groaned. "Like I told you the other day, I'm not authorised to tell you that."

"Then who is? Look, obviously you want _something_ from me, but you're not going to get it as long as you keep it secret from me." She licked her chapped lips. "Just go get someone who's allowed to tell me, _please_."

He groaned again. "And you'll look after yourself?"

"As long as my question is answered."

Kankuro eyed her wearily. "Okay, I'll talk to Gaara. But he's busy right now, so can you just let me take you to freshen up at least? I really _am_ just trying to help you."

"So you can butter me up," she mumbled.

Sakura was clenching and unclenching her fists as Kankuro unlocked the cell, wishing desperately that these sand bracelets weren't holding her chakra back. Even in the water of her drawn bath, they retained their shape and consistency, due to Gaara's chakra running through them. But at least they weren't uncomfortably tight on her wrists. With a deep sigh, the pinkette followed the puppet master, and then closed the door of the bathroom in his face once they'd arrived. There was no key hole, so she wasn't worried he was going to perv on her.

She bathed, redressed in the provided grey/black top with matching three quarter pants, and stood in front of the vanity mirror, appalled at the sight before her. Her skin was the same, her pink hair still short and thick, but somewhere, in those emerald eyes, the fury of her captivity wasn't registering. The orbs of green just stared back at her like she was a stranger. She was stronger than this, more hopeful than this, but somehow she wondered if deep down she'd actually _accepted_ her predicament. This scared her more than any torture that awaited her if she didn't agree to Gaara's terms ever could.

'_Naruto wouldn't give up.'_

Sakura held up her wrists to stare at the sand. It made her feel lonely and protected at the same time. She had seen firsthand just how much control Gaara had over it, so she knew that he would sense it immediately if something were to happen to her, probably worried she might try to escape, regardless of her debilitation. A part of her knew it was hopeless, though the rest of her mind contemplated the depressingly short list of ideas on how escape might be possible. She wasn't going anywhere, this much had been certain from the moment Gaara had arrived in time to turn the tide of the battle to capture her. She had never seen a battle shift so suddenly, and so seemingly easy.

She shivered. But as much as she feared what he could do to her, she _wanted_ to see him again. It killed her that he was ignoring her. She hated herself for feeling so drawn to him, but she knew nothing would ever happen between them, so she didn't fight her thoughts about him when she was alone. Sakura looked back at her reflection. Her musings on the Kaze-heika was all over her face. She wanted to believe it wasn't just that husky voice, and those gorgeous eyes, not to mention that calm exterior, that had her spellbound. He was so much like Sasuke. But then, the differences were just as obvious…

And just because she could think of any, didn't mean–

"Sakura, are you done?" Kankuro interrupted her thoughts and she tried unsuccessfully to push Gaara out of her mind.

"In a minute!" She called back, not looking away from the mirror.

She made him wait for a few minutes before opening the door. He escorted her back to her cell.

"I'll talk to Gaara," he promised. "Just be patient, okay?"

Sakura nodded and watched him leave, hoping he was a man of his word.

… …

… …

Sometime after Kankuro left, Sakura had another visitor. She was half expecting Gaara to have come in right now, realising it could be awhile before he spoke to her, since according to Kankuro he was very busy. It wasn't Gaara coming to see her now, but some brown haired girl; she was well groomed and dressed in stately clothes, in which she could easily be confused with a tomboy princess. There was no insignia on her simple but elegant kimono, but for some reason, Sakura got the idea she wasn't from around Suna, or the land of wind.

The girl was clearly a teenager, eighteen, maybe nineteen; she ran her hand along the jail cell, watching the way the pinkette's eyes narrowed at her. The brunette glowered at Sakura, the expression on her face reminiscent of the arrogance and snotty, high society girls she had heard lived in Otogakure. But this was Sunagakure, so this girl, if she was indeed an ally of Suna rather than a resident, was more likely from somewhere like Iwagakure, or one of the smaller villages; perhaps not even a ninja village.

There were Iwagakure dignitaries in the village right now.

Sakura stared back at the girl with equal intensity, not intimidated in the slightest. Even thought the kimono she wore was both simple and elegant, it did not escape the pinkette's scrutiny that it was also very practical. Moreover, if she was nobility she wouldn't have considered lowering herself to visit the prison cells. The stench in this place was stronger or weaker depending on where one stood, as well as the direction of the draught coming through any number of high, barred windows. On top of that, the way this girl held herself as she strolled languidly along the length of the cell indicated she was carrying a concealed weapon.

If she were a ninja, she could easily compensate for the presence of a weapon strapped to her body, giving nothing away in her movements. So either she was thinking of attacking Sakura or she… no, the pinkette was certain this girl meant business. Sakura glanced at the girl's side, where the weapon was definitely hidden, before lifting her head to look directly into the girl's eyes again. She was confident that Sakura was weakened and at her mercy, and she wasn't surveying the room or surreptitiously looking the pinkette over to make sure.

No, this girl was no Kunoichi.

The brunette smirked at Sakura. "So you're the little leaf parasite my Okā-san told me all about."

"And who are you?" Sakura asked.

"None of your business," the girl spat.

"You're from Iwa, right? Shouldn't high society be more refined than you? Or are you just some low class maid playing dress up?"

Sakura couldn't help herself; there was something about this girl that made her hackles go up, regardless of the fact that she had come down here with a weapon. Outside of this cell block, she heard no sound from the direction of where the guards were posted. So either this girl was tougher than she looked, and had knocked them out (or had an accomplice who was listening to every word they said), or they were well bribed. It would seem, either way that the people of Suna and Iwa hated Konoha far more intolerably than the pinkette had realised.

The girl snarled at Sakura. "You should talk, _vermin_. I heard you're supposed to be some hot shot Kunoichi, but all I see before me is a weak, helpless idiot."

The pinkette kept her anger and hatred from her face as the brunette pulled a set of keys out of her pocket. She was unlocking the door! So she was here to kill her was she? This person Sakura had been brought here to heal mustn't be anyone in the hierarchy if this girl wanted to kill her before she'd been _convinced_ to do so. Or at least, it wasn't someone _she_ cared about.

"I know how to get rid of vermin," the girl said, revealing the kikuchi yari **[**_*****_**]** strapped to the outside of her left leg.

Sakura stood up slowly. She didn't bother giving the girl any warning, knowing that no matter how this went down, the sand on her wrists were alerting Gaara to what was happening, right now. She jumped forward as the brunette held the yari out in front of her, grabbing the tang of the weapon before the girl could react and pulling her overly made up face into her clenched fist.

… …

… …

Kankuro exited the lower levels and walked slowly toward the Kazekage mansion, knowing Gaara was probably there. Every Sabaku sibling was over age and living on their own, even though Temari was engaged and Kankuro was having trouble deciding from a line of high society women. It sounded more fun than it actually was. Apparently, they all had either a _great personality_, or something to offer them that the rest of them didn't. He wasn't so shallow that he'd go solely on looks, but some of them were better looking than others, really. He'd joked once, in Temari's presence, about turning them into his very own harem, which didn't go over well with her. Apparently, it was offensive. But _she_ was the one who kept pushing the official date for her nuptials back, and Kankuro had one thousand yen riding on a bet, in favour of her breaking the engagement off during the next three months. Gaara had bet it would take her at least six more months, considering she'd now been engaged for almost two years. Arō Sabaku, their father, was betting the groom-to-be was going to grow sick and tired of this and be the one to cancel everything.

This was why, every chance he got, Kankuro gave Temari every reason to be angry with the male species. It increased his chances significantly. Luckily, Temari didn't know about the bet.

He made a mental note to tell Sakura all about it and get her opinion on this; the thought of seeing her again put a bounce in his step as he jumped up to an open window and let himself into his father's mansion this way. There was no need to make the Kazekage or the Kaze-heika come all the way to the door.

Kankuro could admit to himself that he was occasionally jealous of Gaara's title. It made him look so hot to the female population, not that the red head _needed_ that kind of help. But then he would remember the way the council often spoke to him, and the shit he had to deal with when it came to them, and then he just counted himself lucky that Gaara was the strongest offspring of the Kazekage. Arō prized Gaara also. In another life, the man might've been a harsh, unforgiving father, but every expectation he had of Gaara, the red head exceeded. If that didn't engender favouritism, nothing would.

"Kankuro," Arō said, having turned at his oldest son's arrival.

Gaara and Arō were in the upper level office where the Kazekage did his paperwork when in the privacy of his own home. Kankuro had inherited their father's brown hair and Arō's personality, at least when it came to his family. He was irreverent behind closed doors and both stiff and pretentious when it came to others. He wasn't the nicest person true, but his family endured his mood shifts. Yet he was still popular, despite his attitude. In fact, Kankuro believed the old man had more in common with Gaara when interacting with others outside of the family, personality wise. He was clearly where the red head had inherited his uncanny ability to piss people off from.

Their mother was the most beautiful person any of them had ever met.

Karura Sabaku was probably at the hospital right now. She wasn't a medic, not really, but she was still a fine Kunoichi and often helped out at the medical core. Yashamaru, her brother, had taught her a few things though, being a part of the medical core himself. But Karura's strength, outside of her exceptional fighting skills, lied in making others feel better emotionally. Kankuro glanced around to note the family portrait on his father's desk. They were all in it: Arō, Karura, Temari, Kankuro, Gaara, Yashamaru, Nakimi (his wife), and Mia. They were all smiling, except for Gaara, Arō, and Yashamaru. The biggest grin award always went to Kankuro.

"Did you come in through the window for a reason, Kankuro?" Gaara asked.

"No reason," Kankuro said. "Um, you should go see Sakura. She's getting intolerable and I promised her you'd tell her why she's here."

Gaara just stared at him.

"The council is ready for her now," Arō said, crossing his arms over his chest. "Are you sure you can convince her, Gaara?"

"I'll know once I try," the red head said, not seemingly caring right now. "The council wants to torture her."

"What, why?" Kankuro asked abruptly, earning himself a raised eyebrow from both men in front of him. "That won't do anything. She'd just–"

"No-one said they're going to get their way, Kankuro. Settle down."

"Right, sorry father."

"You seem smitten."

"She's a nice girl."

"She does seem to have some admirable qualities to her," Gaara said evenly, narrowing his eyes at his brother dangerously.

Kankuro could almost hear his brother telling him to get over whatever infatuation he was developing. It was all in the depth of that trademark icy stare. He knew Gaara had a fascination for Sakura as well, and had avoided her for the last two days for that reason. He didn't like to split his focus and had been focusing on dealing with the council. But now he needed to concentrate on the pinkette if they were going to get anywhere with her.

"Well, I'll be off," Arō said, looking between his sons, noting that Kankuro wasn't the only one who had taken to the pinkette. He was _really_ looking forward to meeting the girl that had them both riled up like this. It was at least fascinating if nothing else.

"Fetch her ladyship, will you?" He asked Gaara cheekily, before using Shunshin to leave.

"That guy," Kankuro said, annoyed.

Gaara moved his head slightly, feeling the strange sensation in his sand he did every time Sakura over exerted herself. Without saying goodbye to Kankuro, he copied his father by using Shunshin to get out of the mansion, and headed to the prison. The pinkette looked fine, except for a slight tinge of pink on her cheeks. Gaara's eyes travelled up and down her body quickly before resting on the brunette girl sprawled out on the dingy floor. She was dressed in high society clothes, a weapon in one hand and prison keys in the other. It was obvious what had happened here. He recognised the girl as an Iwagakure dignitary. So she was oblivious to the ways of Gaara's sand around Sakura's wrists.

Just another clueless civilian.

"This is why I wanted you guarded," Gaara said simply.

Sakura scoffed. "And a mighty fine idea it was."

He didn't react to her sarcasm other than to pull on her. "The council wishes to speak with you."

"What of the Iwa girl?"

"She will be dealt with later."

"Gaara!" Sakura tried to twist out of his grip.

He wouldn't let her go, but stopped pulling on her anyway. "What is it?"

"Did Kankuro find you?"

"Yes."

"And?"

"And what?"

She groaned. "I want to know why you kidnapped me, and I want to know _now_."

She realised she had just sounded like some spoilt four year old, but she was sick and tired of playing the guessing game, the days spent in a stinking cell, and this _stupid_ civilian who had accosted her, thinking she was weak just because she had been imprisoned. Was being able to know why she was even here such a bad thing, really?

Gaara stared at her, thinking. He supposed it couldn't hurt, and she probably should know before being brought before the council. He inhaled deeply. She smelt faintly of strawberries and he guessed Kankuro had done his job and made sure she was taking care of herself. The red head had wanted her as comfortable as she could get in such an abysmal cell, but now realised this had just frustrated her to no end. They were natural enemies, so of course she questioned his motives. He sighed, lifting her arm and realising he'd actually taken her hand instead of her elbow.

Sakura had turned a distinct shade of red at his attention, and his hand clasping hers, but didn't back down. He reaffirmed his hold on her elbow instead, but she still felt flushed at his touch.

"Well?" She asked.

Gaara nodded to her, relenting. He supposed it _was_ time she knew.

…

X X X

…

**A/N: Nyah ha ha! I love cliff hangers. ;P Was that a cliff hanger..?  
><strong>**About chapter 5 is where things get REAL interesting, well, the end of chapter 4. *wink, wink* Oh, and Konoha is in the next chapter. Just wanted to tell you guys that. Lotsa love, please! ^_^**

**R&R.**

Okā-san: mother (with honorifics).

**[**_*****_**] **kikuchi yari: Yari is a reference to one of four traditionally made Japanese blades, in the form of a spear. The kikuchi yari is a short Japanese (samurai) spear, more like a dagger, from the Edo period. There's more to it, but you get the idea. I went looking for this on a whim because I wanted it to make sense that it was a real weapon, but not connected to ninja. ^_^


	5. The Uninvited Guest

**A/N: Apparently Grey's Anatomy (the show, not the medical reference book) is complete and utter rubbish… or so says my First Aid instructor. ****And yes, I agree with him… even before he told us a defibrillator can't actually restart a heart. Just don't ask me for CPR… unless there's no-one else. ;) ****  
>Anyway, sorry for the late update. I blame Dramione (Harry Potter pairing) and my indecision when it comes to concentrating on what I'm doing when I can't write for crap. ;P<strong>

**Thanks to** xSakuraWings, StarKiss666, SapphireRivulet, my-threesome, XBloodMageRikaX, Cindy Medeiros, Choco(ANON)** and **LittleNightmare92 **for reviewing chapter 3. Words cannot express how deeply I love you guys. ;)**

StarKiss666: **I think I've told you before that I love the way you think... in a PM, right? So, you want political intrigue, yes? Hopefully you won't be disappointed with my version. ;)  
><strong>my-threesome: **very true…** **it does smell fishy doesn't it? It is an oddity, sending a civilian to take out a ninja, even if their chakra is blocked. But is it important..? XD**

**Enjoy! ^_^**

…

– Chapter 4 –  
>.:. The Uninvited Guest .:.<p>

…

The feeling that he was floating was not a memory. He hadn't taken flight, nor had he been thrown through the air, not _really_. He couldn't place the source of this feeling, with an unseen bristle tickling his underside and the smell of sand and grass assaulting his senses. But he wasn't out in the forest anymore, he was _sure_ of it… or was this just another dream?

Neji Hyuuga had been dreaming about that ambush since it happened, his mind moving in and out of the events at will like one would fast forward or rewind through a movie. He felt removed from it, but guilty at the way it turned out. He couldn't get her face out of his mind, the way her eyes had widened, worried what was happening to _him_, while the sand from that monster had wrapped around her body, to take her away. She would live, even if only for a little while longer, so it was clear the pink haired medic was more worried about Neji's well being, and the screams from the ANBU – the latter was more disturbing to the Hyuuga; who knew that ANBU could scream like _that_?

It was just further proof that Gaara Sabaku was a force to be reckoned with.

He heard Sakura's voice calling for him, trying to rouse him, and then the voice lowered a few octaves. It was someone else now. How strange that there were several people around him finally, and in his half dreamlike state, they all sounded the same as they were strained and concerned.

"Over here!"

"Oh Kami; medic!"

"How is he?"

"He's alive, for now. How are the ANBU?"

"I don't know."

"Neji? Neji, can you hear me? Please wake up… please? Please, you have to be okay. I love you…"

The new sound of a feminine voice stirred him, but it was a few moments later before Neji realised he had indeed been on the forest floor. Time seemed to move at its own pace and suddenly, he found that the scenery had changed. So he _had_ just been dreaming? It felt so real, so maybe it was a combination of memory and dreaming. His eyes fluttered opened and he realised someone was holding his hand. She was also sitting on a chair next to his bed. He felt so warm all of a sudden, and realised it was both her voice and her presence that had brought him out of his dream. It was comforting to know, that after all these years, she still did that to him.

He shifted in his bed slightly, rolling his head over to see her smiling at him. Tenten was real after all, and Neji allowed himself a small smile. His fiancé gripped his hand even tighter, her worried expression shifting as she now looked very relieved that he was finally awake. But she kept quiet as the older blonde standing behind her looked more terrified than he'd ever seen her.

"Where's Sakura, Neji? What happened out there? Who the hell did this to you?" The Hokage's voice was strained, and she looked like she hadn't slept in days.

Neji groaned, trying to sit up.

"Wait," Tenten said, putting a hand on him and pushing him back down. "You need to save your strength."

"Better do what she says Neji, lest she threaten you with celibacy for the foreseeable future."

Neji looked around his room at the sound of the cheeky voice as Tenten blushed. There was one other person in the room, and he was hovering at the edge of his bed, and beaming slightly at him.

"Kakashi..." Neji trailed off.

The copy ninja seemed to be ecstatic to see him, in his own aloof way. "It's good to see we got to you in time."

"You were there also?"

He nodded. "And as to the Hokage's question?"

"We were ambushed," Neji said, the faces staring intently at him unsurprised. "It was two squads from the sand, the first was a tracking team, and the second came in a few minutes later, a mix of special Jounin and normal Jounin."

He licked his dry lips, coughing slightly as he lowered his eyes from the Hokage's inquisitive stare. Tenten moved away to fetch him a glass of water, and once she'd returned, he drank it quickly and thanked her, clearing his throat.

"That's all?" Kakashi asked.

"No. The second squad was led by the sand siblings, Temari and Kankuro." Their eyes widened, but he ignored this, wanting only to quickly finish telling his story. "The demon of the sand arrived shortly after them and turned the tide of the battle in their favour in a matter of seconds. Once Gaara Sabaku had knocked out our ANBU and myself, he took Sakura away, using that ungodly sand of his. It's the last thing I saw before I passed out."

They knew him well enough to see through his seemingly calm façade and into the guilt underneath. Sure, Gaara was legendary, having never lost a battle, but Neji was a _Hyuuga_ for Kami's sake! It had to count for _something_!

"It's not your fault Neji," Tsunade said. "You're lucky to be alive. If I remember correctly, that young man is rumoured to be stronger than his father, perhaps even me or Jiraiya. He's an anomaly, and you have nothing to be ashamed of."

"I'm surprised he left you and the other ANBU alive," Kakashi said thoughtfully, ignoring the glare from Tenten. "He's known for his ruthlessness, not mercy."

"What does it matter?" Tenten said. "Neji is back and he will recover."

And they needed solid intelligence on Sakura. They were all thinking it: why was she taken?

"Sakura seemed to be the whole reason for the attack," Neji said, and the corner of Tsunade's mouth twitched in anger. He sighed. "How long were we missing for?"

"Only a few days," Tenten said.

"The Senkage sent a message to Konoha shortly after you were due to arrive in Oto," Kakashi finished up for her. "It's lucky he did that when he did. I'm not sure you'd have survived another day out there."

Neji nodded. "Then I am in his debt. What of the ANBU who were also with me?"

"They're in the next room," Tenten said softly. "Their injuries were a little more severe and they're still on life support, but the medics are hoping they'll be off it in another day or two."

He nodded again, not sure how to respond this time. The silence that followed was not an uncomfortable one, and eventually, Tsunade decided it was time to leave the Hyuuga to rest.

"Neji!" An irate voice burst through the calm before the Hokage could speak however, and a moment later, Naruto Uzumaki barged into his hospital room, followed closely by Neji's cousin.

Hinata looked apologetic and bowed slightly. "Sorry, we were worried."

"It's okay Hinata," Tenten said.

"Neji, what happened?" Naruto shouted. "Where's Sakura? Who attacked you? How did you get away? Are you–"

"Naruto, shut the hell up," Tsunade snapped. "Come with me, and I'll fill you in. Kakashi?"

The copy ninja nodded his head and followed the Hokage, Naruto, and Hinata out of the room. Once they were gone, Tenten threw her arms around her fiancé.

"I don't know what I'd do without you," she said. "Don't ever scare me like that again."

… …

… …

Gaara Sabaku was not normally so tolerant. He'd noticed the pinkette immediately upon arriving on the battle scene, and sent his sand straight for her. She was attractive, her body pleasing and up close, she smelled like strawberries and vanilla. It was safe to say he was captivated. A lesser woman would not compel him so easily; a lesser woman might have angered him with her pouting and her demand to know what was going on. It was his right to say and do as he pleased, taking what he pleased, and not answering to enemy Kunoichi, no matter how attractive they were. After all, he wasn't named the Kaze-heika for nothing. This title demanded respect. He was going to be Kazekage someday after all. So who was she to treat him like an equal?

But here she was, Miss Sakura Haruno, demanding that equal respect. But by Kami, he would give it to her. And this pissed him off, even though he understood that keeping this particular piece of information from her now would do no good. They were due in the council room in a few minutes, and she would find out anyway. He needed… no, _wanted_ her to trust him. It was imperative. She had to want to help. The moment someone tried to force her, she would retreat into her Kunoichi training and choose torture and death over healing an enemy.

But how was he to word this in a manner that would elicit her assistance?

"You cannot see this as you would if you just had only one life in your hands," he said evenly, and her eyes widened slightly. "It is not just for Suna, or Iwa. You may not believe it when I tell you, but this could affect all the nations."

"It's a noble or something," Sakura said, "right?"

He shook his head. "Do you know about Ilac-Vesical Disease?" **[**_*****_**]**

"No, but Ilac and Vesical as separate things _are_ familiar," she said. "Ilac Arteries lead into the pelvis from the abdominal aorta and Vesical is a reference to cavities in the bladder."

She waited for him to elaborate, and after a moment's hesitation, he complied.

"It's a rare disease that hasn't been seen in the land of wind for decades. It's almost always fatal, but has only affected peasants in the capital city."

"Until now?"

"Until now."

"Who is it, Gaara?"

He frowned at her impertinence. "My father."

Somehow, she wasn't surprised. He'd never bend over backwards to kidnap the prized student of Lady Tsunade just to heal some insignificant person who meant nothing to him. His father… She wondered how long they'd waited to do something, and why they thought someone who wasn't familiar with the disease would be able to do anything about it. She'd never heard of it, so she guessed it wasn't something to be found in the land of fire. And Gaara's vague description wasn't helping her figure out what it did; although logic dictated it had something to do with the arteries in the pelvis area.

"How would healing Arō Sabaku affect all nations? I get that he's the Kazekage and all that, but if he dies, you'd–"

He tightened his grip on her elbow; the sand around her wrists stung her and she forced herself not to cry out as this cut her off mid-sentence. Gaara pushed her against the wall, cutting her off mid-sentence. He looked livid, like a dangerous animal that was about to tear her to pieces. Where was the calm, uninterested man who's reputation for apathy was notorious? His eyes were intense on hers, and as he spoke, she felt a shiver go up her spine.

"You will _not_ disrespect the Kazekage, and you _will_ behave yourself, or there will be severe consequences. Is that clear?"

Sakura stopped struggling, her body pressed into the wall by Gaara; he was using his own body to keep her firmly planted to the spot. She could feel the rigid contours of his lean, toned form as her heart pounded violently in her ears. Where the _hell_ was the marching band causing the tremor in her body?

"Answer me," he growled, and she nodded her head, not trusting her voice. She just wanted him to get off of her…

He released her but she didn't move, not meeting his eyes as he stared at her thoughtfully. Sakura was saved from having to fill the uncomfortable silence when a Jounin dressed as a common guard came into the cell block and addressed his Kaze-heika.

"The council wishes to remind you they have been waiting for you and require the presence of the Konohagakure Kunoichi in the council room."

The guard stopped in his bow, finally noticing the unconscious brunette Iwagakure girl lying on the floor. His curious eyes settled on Gaara, who stared back blankly.

"She attacked the prisoner," the redhead said evenly. "I can only imagine she somehow overpowered the _sleeping_ guards, or else I would believe someone let her in, against the rules…"

The guard stiffened at the Kaze-heika's hidden sarcasm. "I… it won't happen again Lord Gaara."

"See that it doesn't."

Gaara took a firm hold of Sakura and teleported them both out of the prison.

… …

… …

Glad to be out of that dingy cell, Sakura sighed in relief as she and Gaara arrived in the waiting room before the council room. He turned her to face him, ignoring the startled yelp from her as he handled her roughly, and looked into those green eyes of hers.

"Do not show weakness," he said evenly. "If you are weak, they will entertain the idea of torturing you, thinking you will give in quickly. They want this matter over and done with and will not hesitate in whatever means necessary to break you."

'_Why is he telling me this?'_

"Why are you telling me this?"

Shouldn't he be more worried for his father than some enemy Kunoichi?

"There are many paths to take to any single destination," he said idly, remembering his uncle Yashamaru telling him this once. "The fastest route might be best for my father, but it isn't for _you_."

Before she could question him further, Gaara opened the door to the council room and steered her toward the waiting members of twelve and his father. Her eyes raked over the meticulous Suna architecture and took in the small additions that barely passed as decorations that adorned the walls high windows and adjoining rooms visible through open doors. She let her gaze drift over the council members: the twelve members of the Sunagakure council sat on either side of the long rectangular table, while Arō Sabaku sat comfortably at the head of said table, watching her with a mixture of curiosity and aloofness. He looked like Kankuro, but Sakura had heard Gaara had inherited his abrupt manner from the man.

'_Funny, he doesn't __look__ sick, decrepit, or ill mannered in anyway.'_

She had gotten the impression from Gaara that this illness was serious.

Arō noticed the way she was looking at him, guessing his youngest son had told her what was going on, but when her eyes flitted over the council before resting on Gaara as the red head brought her to a stop without releasing his hold on her, he was struck with a strange thought.

'_Why is Gaara still standing there?'_

He wasn't some legal defendant, or concerned family member given a reprieve and allowed to stand by their loved one. But he remained next to the leaf Kunoichi, even though he wasn't supposed to… and his grip on her was something fierce. Interesting. This seemed to confirm his earlier suspicion that Gaara had taken to her; he just hoped that he, like Kankuro, understood that they couldn't have her. She was the enemy, despite her obvious _attractive_ qualities. Sometimes his sons did and said things that made Arō wonder if they ever thought things through – romantically, they did seem to be a bit clueless. And Temari, with her back and forth in her engagement, showed more common sense than those two put together.

Sakura blushed under Arō Sabaku's gaze inexplicably, at least able to stop herself from squirming. She attempted to take the pressure off of herself and glanced around as the council stared silently at her.

The only other people in the room were expressionless guards and faceless ANBU. A moment later, one of the open, side doors revealed a blonde Kunoichi as she strode into the room, bowed to the council and her father, then moved over to Gaara purposefully. Temari gave him a long suffering sigh and he did as was expected, letting go of Sakura and taking a step away.

The pinkette felt suddenly exposed, as though naked in front of these strangers. As soon as Gaara was a few steps away from Sakura, the silence was broken by a strange looking Councillor who introduced himself as Homeru.

"There is no need to be so nervous, Kunoichi," he said. "We aren't here to eat you alive. This is merely an informal greeting of sorts. Has the Kaze-heika apprised you as to your situation?"

"Yes," she said calmly, hiding her nervousness in her voice at least. Gaara had told her not to show weakness, and she forced herself to do just that.

Councillor Aruma spoke next. "As an enemy ninja, you are the responsibility of the Shinobi who captured you, in this case, Gaara Sabaku. But you answer directly to the council and Kazekage, do you understand?"

Sakura nodded silently.

"Since you are already aware of the particulars behind your capture, and the condition of our Kazekage–" Aruma glanced at Gaara, who nodded in response. "–we will keep this meeting brief, and I will be as succinct as possible. Tending to and healing our Kazekage is our only concern with you, and your compliance in this matter is non-negotiable. If you do anything in an attempt to escape, harm anyone within the walls of Sunagakure or in any way hinder the duties of those assigned to you, you will be punished, severely. Do you understand me?"

Again Sakura nodded.

"Speak up." One of the members sitting closer to Arō barked at her.

"I understand," she said clearly, frowning at him angrily.

She didn't break eye contact with the man, and eventually, he looked away. They needed her alive, at least for now, so she decided to push and pull as needed. If Gaara was right, and they were looking to end this quickly, then she needed to show strength. But she could only hold off healing the Kazekage for so long. She glanced at Gaara, wondering again, why he would want to drag this out when it was his father's life on the line. It made no sense.

"Very well, Kunoichi," Aruma continued. "Tomorrow morning, you will be escorted to the medical labs and–"

"And if I refuse?" Sakura asked venomously.

Did they really just expect her to roll over and perform tricks for their amusement? Sure, she didn't want to be tortured, but she wouldn't give in to them this easily. Sakura had already decided she would play along to some extent – in the academy, all Konohagakure students were taught that blatantly refusing to help an enemy while behind enemy lines was a one-way ticket to torture and execution. If robbing them of their prize was out of the question, her next step was to learn as much as possible and figure out a way to get the information to the leaf, even if it was the last thing she ever did.

Not that she knew right now, how _that_ would be possible. She could never have predicted that the first time she was ever _successfully_ kidnapped, that sand bracelets would alert her captor to any and all undue exertion on her part. But she would survive for as long as possible, at least in false hope that she could find a way to escape.

"You don't need us to spell out what would happen then, Kunoichi," the nameless councillor from before spat at her. He didn't seem to think her worthy of knowing his name, like the others who had thus far spoken to her.

"_Sakura_," Gaara said through clenched teeth. "Her name is Sakura."

Temari grabbed his shoulder warningly, though pleasantly surprised that he didn't brush her off. "_Gaara_…"

The council members had heard him, and several stared incredulously at him; they quickly looked away however, as he glared right back.

"A guard will escort you back underground and Lord Gaara will be with you shortly," Councillor Kokome said kindly, not realising she was being patronising to someone as stubborn and easily angered as Sakura.

But the pinkette let it slide, noting the intense look on Gaara's face before she was manhandled and escorted out.

Gaara stood his ground, knowing what it was the council wanted to talk to him about. He didn't have to wait long before Sakyou grunted at him (forever the propriety driven old fool).

"You are taking a liking to your captive young Kaze-heika. Do not forget your position."

"I remember it well," Gaara said evenly.

His sudden calm demeanour did not go unnoticed. He disliked being told what to do, no matter _who_ it was, and any hint otherwise bothered them immensely. He could literally _feel_ their confusion.

"You will explain yourself."

_Now_, Gaara's demeanour shifted. He growled slightly. "I will as soon as the Iwa dignitaries explain why one of their own snuck into the prison levels and attempted to kill Sakura Haruno."

Arō glanced to his left, toward one of the open doors, but his expression was calmer than Gaara had expected. Didn't the dignitaries _know_ what the pinkette had been targeted for? They should have been told this morning. His father had told him so. So… they knew they were attacking the last hope for Arō's life. The old man didn't seem as upset over this as Gaara had anticipated. Or perhaps he was hiding his shock, thinking that it was inevitable? That sounded stupid. They were allies, why would they want the Kazekage dead?

Kokome glanced at Arō before addressing Gaara. "We will deal with them. Your focus now should be convincing Sakura Haruno to heal our Kazekage, and not getting involved with her outside of the scope of this mission. Understood?"

Gaara nodded, feeling calmer now, knowing that Kokome at least, meant no disrespect to him. "I will tend to her now."

A sudden shift of movement in the room caught his attention before he could Shunshin out and Gaara noted a figure, previously hidden in the shadow of the western wall move languidly into dim light. He wasn't smiling, but the redhead saw the mirth on his face nonetheless.

"You'd better hurry," he said insolently.

The spy that had stepped out of the shadows was normally someone Gaara got along with, to a certain degree. But his tone annoyed the redhead and he growled audibly. Clearly, he was taking the council's side on this. If he wasn't, he wouldn't have skulked around in the shadows until after the leaf Kunoichi had left, and said something before the council had dismissed Gaara from them. The Kaze-heika knew him _too_ well. He didn't hate the man, but sometimes he wanted to pummel him. He thought him above skulking around in the council chambers like this. Captain Yura **[***_*****_**]** was a squad leader turned ANBU and now it would seem, turned spy for the council. What else had the man been doing as of late?

Clearly, he'd just returned from Konoha.

Gaara gave him one of his infamous death glares and shunshined out without snapping at him like he wanted to. He left the area even angrier than he was when he'd entered, but for some reason, he hadn't felt like shouting at Yura, let alone the council. He decided instead of going straight to Sakura, that he would vent his rage through more constructive means and headed to his favourite training ground. He didn't want to snap _her_ neck when it was the council that deserved it.

… …

… …

It was the Senkage who had suggested the union of noble houses in both Konoha and Otogakure. This would bring more stability and engender a closer working relationship between the high societies of their two villages. There were two families in both villages to be united and it fell to Tsunade to decide the ones in Konohagakure. Although she understood the logic behind this joining and welcomed it wholeheartedly, it was still about her telling a young woman from the Kazukumi family and a young man from the Amituken household that they were expected to marry complete strangers from Otogakure within the year.

They weren't ninja, but even though arranged marriages weren't unheard of in the civilian families, it still left Tsunade feeling both guilty and frustrated. She _was_ a ninja, and shouldn't have to do this; it was the civilian council that the Senkage should've approached, but they were happy to delegate this to her, the nitwits.

The last arranged marriage Tsunade had handled had been a cover; Naruto and Hinata were in love and had come to her to help convince her father and the Hyuuga elders to accept it, which ultimately ended up as them pretending it was arranged, to save face. Politics was a messy, uncaring beast when angered, so they had gotten lucky.

So this was how Tsunade Senju had currently found herself tapping her foot angrily and staring at the summons she was in the middle of writing; Sami Kazukumi… Hauen Amituken… she felt so sorry for them. How was she supposed to word this and not come over as overbearing in this matter when they had no choice in the matter? If they were marrying each other it would be decidedly easier, coming from the same village, and times of war was not a good time to be separated from loved ones. But they weren't.

It was potential for disaster, with living arrangements once it was over. Who would be shafted out of their village, who would have the upper hand in future negotiations?

Tsunade growled.

"Enter!" She snapped, before Aoba had a chance to knock on her door. "Where are Kotetsu and Izumo?" She asked, after the sunglass wearing gossip opened her door.

Her aides were driving her up the wall.

"Both off sick with the flu," Aoba said.

That didn't require time off. "They should've just gone to the hospital and had a medic check them over."

"It's a rather nasty flu going around Lady Hokage," Aoba said. "It's already affected a third of the staff in this building alone…" He drifted off, wondering how she didn't know this.

Tsunade checked under the mess of papers on her desk and found the appropriate memo. She really needed to pay attention to this, but Shizune was off on a mission right now and she hated organising things in her absence.

"Okay," she said, "you're my designated paper organiser. But first," she pointed to the door, "fetch me another bottle of Sake would you?"

Aoba wasn't as used to this strange side of her as Kotetsu Hagane and Izumo Kamizuki, so he wasn't sure the lady was serious. Ever since news had come that Sakura Haruno had been captured by the demon of the sand, she was getting more and more difficult to read. She spent last night screaming at the council and in fruitless meetings with returned spies from the border to the land of wind with no hope of infiltrating Suna to extract her favourite student who was more like a daughter to her. The council understood her position, but they would not authorise a mission into Sunagakure on the vague and baseless information the spies had brought. They would risk no more lives.

It was… uncharacteristically thoughtful of them…

"Shoo!" Tsunade snarled at Aoba, and he hastily left her office.

Of course she was worried about Sakura, and the arranged marriage she didn't want any part of wasn't helping.

She plopped into her chair and stared at her door, waiting for that delicious Sake elixir, as she'd run out of her emergency supply and Shizune wasn't here to stop her this time. But ten minutes later, when she bade Aoba to re-enter, he looked decidedly empty handed.

"I'm sorry milady," he said, "but the Senkage has just arrived in the village earlier than anticipated, and he's requesting an audience with you."

"Send in Naruto, Kakashi, and Ino first, would you? Then fetch the Senkage and his entourage… and Aoba? Don't come back without my bottle of Sake next time."

Tsunade could sense Sakura's ex-Sensei, and two best friends in the hallway, approaching her office, and thought that they might as well be a part of this _reunion_ as well. It would put all the people who cared most about Sakura (ninja, not civilian) in the same room as the discussion over what to do now was due to take place... now that her other options had been shot down by the council.

Aoba nodded and darted back out into the hallway before the three ninja in question were ushered in. Ino Yamanaka was however, the only one not looking remotely composed or determined. Kakashi was his usual aloof self, while Naruto had surprisingly calmed down since being apprised of the situation; there was only fierce resolve on that face as he approached Tsunade's desk.

"What are you going to do grandma?"

"I'm going to wait for the last of my _guests_ to arrive before answering that question," she said evenly.

"What are you talking about?"

Tsunade stood as Aoba re-entered the room a few minutes later (only to leave almost immediately to search for Sake), two Shinobi trailing behind him – one happy to be here, the other well… it was probably best that Tsunade couldn't read that deadpan expression of his.

The Senkage entered first, addressing the Hokage in a nonchalant, yet friendly tone. "Lady Tsunade."

Behind him, the second ninja stood quietly, looking torn between wishing he was somewhere else and uncaring that he was here in the first place.

Naruto was the last to turn around at the intrusion. He scowled heavily at the man who had entered the Hokage's office behind the Senkage. _He_ was uninvited, and the blonde scowled uncharacteristically, unsurprised at his indifference to the mixed reactions he was getting. When no-one said anything, Naruto clenched his fists, his voice coming out gruff and suspicious as he eyed off his former friend.

"What do you think _you're_ doing here, _Sasuke_?"

…

X X X

…

**A/N: OMG! It was Arō! Well, anyway… who Sakura was brought to Suna to heal isn't the mystery I wanna see if you guys can guess, so stick around! ;P  
><strong>**And NO, I don't like Sasuke, but NO, I'm not going to be bashing him... And YES, his arrival will stir things up. No fun otherwise. ;) I don't hate him like I used to, probably because I haven't delved into canon for a long time, so I'm feeling all magnanimous and whatnot. He's not an antagonist here… not really. :) It's Naruto with the problem guys! Blame him! ^_^**

**R&R.**

**[**_*****_**]** Ilac-Vesical Disease: while the arteries are real, the disease is of my own making. It's not very imaginative, but whatever. Gotta love Gray's Anatomy, ne? (the medical reference book, NOT the show…)

**[***_*****_**]** Captain Yura: I'm not sure that's his real name. This is the guy that in canon, who was the sleeper spy for Sasori in Suna, and on the council there too. I think that's his name, and how it's spelt. Feel free to pick at it if it's wrong. :)

**P.S. Also, if I don't update soon, it's because I'll be focusing on my other GaaSaku, for anyone who reads Dark Sands, and I want to get it finished soon. I'll update The Spoils of War as inspiration strikes, but DS is my priority right now. I know, I'm evil, with the cliffy-ish ending to this chapter and all… but you love me, you know you do. ;) Reviews equals inspiration: like math equations, it all adds up in the end. **

**Lotsa love! ^_^**


	6. Revelations and Declarations

**A/N: Boo! ;P  
>This is the first update I've made since changing from <strong>Mischa Rowe** to **FallenCrimsonStar**. It's so freaky. I have to apologise for the different name from what it was going to be. Fanfiction was being evil. So, HELLO! Greetings all over again, yada, yada, and whatnot. ^_^**

**Oh yeah, and sorry ahead of time for the medical crap here. If it's confusing, just skim over Sakura's diagnosis and ignore the details. They're not important to understand the gist of what's going on, but I wanted it all at least to sound like it makes sense. :)**

**Thanks to** my-threesome, SapphireRivulet, Cindy Medeiros, GaaraFanGirl (ANON), Analelle, HereToRead84, xSakuraWings, LibertyForFreedom455, StarKiss666, Kitsunegirl693, XBloodMageRikaX,PLacIDwiCkedNEss, DramaQueen107 anon,kanjimaru67 **and** Unspoken Goodbyes** for reviewing chapter 4, and **compa16, **and** ZapZapYotsuba **for chapter 2****…  
><strong>StarKiss666: **aah, you make me want to do it now. ;P But no, it's kind of important to the story line to not make him mad with vengeance and King of Jerkdom – a horrible kingdom/realm where only jerks live. I might poke him a bit, but bashing is off the cards. Just don't kill me, okay? And… if I put you in one more A/N reply, you'll think I'm stalking you, lol.  
><strong>PLacIDwiCkedNEss: **Oh, I can just imagine that: The ****Bubonic Plague, loose on Naruto. Why do I find that funny? I'm twisted. Well, with your well thought out theory, I hope I won't disappoint you.**** ;)  
><strong>Unspoken Goodbyes: ** clarification please! Your review confused me, sorry. :)**

**Too many apologies, not enough hugs and kisses… enjoy! ^_^**

…

– Chapter 5 –  
>.:. Revelations and Declarations :.<p>

…

Naruto Uzumaki couldn't stop staring at him. No… he was _glaring_. But he'd been ordered to escort him to his apartment and when he was done there, he was going to head back to the Hokage tower and give that baa-chan a piece of his mind! After the meeting with Tsunade and the Senkage, the blonde had started to calm down, until he was ordered to become the personal escort to Sasuke _Uchiha_. Kakashi was allowed to head over to the ANBU to hand pick the members that would be going with them, and Ino was gathering whatever supplies she was able, while choosing the field medics that would accompany them when they headed out in the morning.

'_But me?'_

He was stuck babysitting!

"Stop glaring at me you dobe."

"Make me."

"Do you really want me to kick your ass, _again_?"

"You didn't kick my ass, _baka_, you cheated."

"Using my Sharingan to fight is not cheating."

"Humph, like hell it's not. I don't have a kekkei genkai you inbred teme."

Sasuke sighed. It was the same old argument: who was better, who deserved the attention, or who Sakura would choose in a life or death situation… best friend versus boyfriend. Not that he was officially _with_ Sakura anymore. He'd made that choice alone. The nature of his mission in Otogakure was hazardous and distracting enough. But he couldn't make Sakura understand that and not explain the mission, so he'd settled for driving her away. Hearing that she'd been kidnapped on her way to see him had hit him harder than he'd thought possible, which was why he was here.

And the Senkage, he'd only come to speed up the retrieval process up so that Sasuke could continue with their joint, inter-country mission unencumbered. That man put the mission first every time, but the degree of Sasuke's renewed distraction had been too much to ignore. He wanted to get Sakura back from the enemy, and be here when she came home.

And all of this was the reason for Naruto's anger right now.

"You were a fool to let her go," the blonde snarled, coming to a stop as they approached Sasuke's apartment.

He couldn't get the image of a depressed Sakura out of his head. She'd been so down, the dejection more obvious at his wedding than ever before. So he didn't want to forgive Sasuke for that, even if he did put aside his _precious_ mission to come help get her home.

The apartments around here were all owned by Shinobi and he was no different: you might call it the upper class side of ninja suburbia. No expense was spared in his move – he _was_ an Uchiha after all. Naruto had spent the last few years accusing him of being a hypocrite – one minute bad mouthing his own clan behind his father's back, and the next accepting the old man's money to get a decent apartment. Sasuke had left the Uchiha compound to escape the rigorous rules, and so that one day, he'd have the right to choose his own bride. Itachi on the other hand, who was the clan heir, had opted not to start the next Shinobi war over it.

They couldn't _both_ get away.

"I know."

Naruto growled, fighting his desire to punch his lights out. He deserved it, but the teme wasn't worth it either.

"I know I'm an idiot," Sasuke reiterated softly.

"Stop making it difficult to hate you!" Naruto snarled. "If you really loved her you wouldn't have left her, you wouldn't have broken it off, and she wouldn't be–"

"I _know_," Sasuke snapped back. "Do you really think I wanted this to happen?"

"I think all you cared about was Uchiha _pride_."

Sasuke shook his head. "I'm not my father."

That shut Naruto up and he fell silent, his eyes drifting up and toward the visible roof of Sasuke's apartment block. Sasuke had moved out of the Uchiha estate as soon as he was able, and into a place of his own. He didn't spend as much time in the estate as was expected and it was only Itachi and Shisui that gave him reason to at least visit. He wouldn't go back for his father, and his mother was…

He sighed, frowning at his former friend. "Why did Tsunade even tell you to come with me?"

"Because baa-chan is an interfering mother head," Naruto said evenly. "She's been a surrogate mother for me for years, and being friends with you again is apparently what she thinks is best for me." He scoffed. "Like I would ever. Fuck this, and fuck baa-chan: I'm heading over to see if Kakashi Sensei is finished."

He flickered away and alone and forlorn, Sasuke approached his apartment. It was probably covered in dust mites by now. Shisui had promised to air it out every now and then while he was gone, but was notoriously unreliable when it came to housekeeping.

'_Speak of the devil.'_

His cousin was waiting for him.

… …

… …

Gaara took his frustration at the situation with the council, out on the training ground, but kept his chakra in check. He skipped the katas, moving straight to the physical workout, trying to release his annoyance in a destructive yet constructive way. So he avoided using his sand and as usual, turned down the offer of several Shinobi who were nearby to be his sparring partner. It wasn't like they thought they had a chance of beating him – he couldn't remember the last time anyone had gotten anywhere his defence, let alone under it. They confused him every time they asked… or offered. He wasn't sure what they were up to.

He had other concerns right now: concerns that had caused him to be disrespectful in front of the council in the first place.

Gaara could feel Sakura at all times, through his sand. What she (and others) didn't realise, was just how _much_ he could perceive through those grains of earth. She was worried, frightened, and determined; her heart would race when he stood too close. When she was talking to Kankuro, which he knew she was, right now, she was calmer, though guarded, like he was her best friend. All of these emotions confused the Kaze-heika to no end, which doubled when he felt similar reactions in himself.

Several hours later, he decided he'd finally calmed down, and needed to see her. He would get what he needed out of her, and then she would give him what he _wanted_. There was no doubt in his mind that this was ultimately meant to be.

He transported himself directly into his private room and decided to shower before heading down to the lower levels of the prison. He had used up only a third of his chakra, which was still substantial, but his main concern was the sweat. It wasn't often he worked himself up that much lately, and it'd felt good just to let go.

Stepping out of the shower a few minutes later, he felt a slight pull on his sand. Sakura wasn't doing anything strenuous, just pulling on the sand around her wrist like she had in those forests on their way to Suna.

Was she calling for him? Weird. She hadn't done that once since arriving here.

So Gaara dressed hurriedly, bringing his gourd absentmindedly, and shifted his sand, teleporting directly in front of Sakura's cell. She was waiting for him.

"I was under the impression Sabaku men were better at arriving on time," she said evenly.

He ignored her comment. "The council wants to torture you," he said, and the sudden shift of fear in her demeanour made him feel empowered. "And eventually, they're going to get their way. I told them you won't break that way, but if you won't heal the Kazekage, the end is the same."

Sakura swallowed heavily. "Why did you defend me in the council room? Do you want them to torture me?"

He reached out toward her cell, running a hand along the bars and avoiding her eyes. "You just need to look him over, at least for now."

Her heart was racing, he could _feel_ it; his was pounding in his ears, especially when she stepped toward him and caught his hand before he'd thought to pull it away.

"Do you have any medical books on Ilac-Vesical Disease I can look over?"

"You will look him over?" Gaara asked, his voice even, despite the hope that seemed to radiate from him.

Sakura thought about that. There wouldn't be any harm in seeing if the Kazekage wasn't beyond her help, right? It would at least give her an idea of where to go from here, and the life of a Kage in her hands _was_ a powerful bargaining tool. She wasn't so grandiose as to think she could offer to heal him in return for Sunagakure giving itself over to Konoha or even merely adding their voice to the peace table. No, she would take this one step at a time and see what options are laid before her, before deciding what she will ask for in return.

Sakura nodded. "I will check on the Kazekage, if you agree to move me to better accommodations."

"You want a _suite_ in return for healing him?" Gaara asked, surprised.

"No, I want a suite in return for taking a look at him."

He growled, annoyed. His desire to snap at her was back, and to threaten that if she _didn't_ look at his father, then she'd never leave this cell. His _desire_ for her was weakening him and he made an effort to push himself in the opposite direction. But every time he laid eyes on her, that resolve wavered. What the _hell_ was he meant to do with these… _feelings_? He didn't want them. He _wanted_ to get his father healed, leave this pinkette to the council, and get on with his life.

Gaara glared at Sakura and she glared back. What the _hell_ was she doing to him?

"Okay," he said softly.

"What?"

"I said okay," he snapped. "Happy now?"

He sighed softly, mentally berating himself. He was letting her get under his skin. The Kunoichi was smirking at him. She wasn't stupid. Everyone knew he was normally cold and indifferent when not infuriated by his family or the council, regardless of what was going on, and yet again she was getting to him. Right at that moment, staring into those emerald eyes of hers, he felt himself wanting to give her everything she asked for. If she asked to be let out of this cell, he would oblige. The only thing he would say no to was letting her go. But he held his tongue, doing his darn hardest not to show these submissive thoughts on his face.

'_She need only ask.'_

But she didn't ask, thinking that Gaara would never give her something in return for nothing. How quickly her outlook had changed in the last few minutes. She was looking forward to a proper bed and would tend to the Kazekage in exchange for a good night's sleep. Ultimately, she couldn't ignore the medic in herself. But Sakura kept her promise to herself as Gaara unlocked the door to her cell. If they wanted Arō Sabaku to survive, her condition was going to be _very_ steep.

… …

… …

Having exited the council chambers hours ago, Temari realised that Gaara still hadn't gone to see Sakura. He liked to train immediately after a run-in with those old codgers. It prevented him from lashing out and crushing the bones of some innocent, unsuspecting Shinobi. There was another patrol returning this afternoon, and the blonde had wanted to be on the group that met up with the thirteenth battalion, but her father's orders were that the Sabaku family stay within the protected walls of Sunagakure until the issue with the Konohagakure medic was over.

'_That could take months.'_

Temari wasn't a naturally idle person, so this was like being under house arrest, and she was likely to explode herself soon. Gaara wasn't the only one who was allowed to get pissed off with orders he didn't agree with. Wandering the hallways near the domiciles of the higher echelon, she was looking for a particular member of the council. They were related, albeit distantly, and the woman was more open to constructive criticism than the others. Councillor Satsumi was also a blonde, but more than this, she _looked_ like an older version of Temari. Their relation explained this; it also explained why the older woman was able to worm her way onto the council. Arō had handpicked her.

Sighing, Temari walked quietly and leisurely, not giving any of her reluctance away in her movements. She wasn't looking forward to this, despite the fact that she did like the woman. Months ago, Gaara had _suggested_ to her to get close to Satsumi, to work the woman – gaining her trust, whatever. The oldest sibling of the Sabaku family was friendly enough, getting along with most people, but had disliked the idea of getting close to a councillor. She supposed Gaara had his reasons, and in the end, her disapproval had forced him to have to order her to do it. This way, she felt obligated to seek the councillor out, and didn't feel like she was lying to a friend.

It was a mission: not one given to her officially, but a mission nonetheless. And she would perform it whether she liked it or not.

Temari stopped as she found Satsumi's door and was surprised at the lack of chakra signature inside the room. She wasn't home. The next best place to search was the domiciles handed out to the Iwa dignitaries, so she started walking again, hating Gaara even more now. Those people annoyed her. They had deliberately attacked the only person who might have a chance to heal the Kazekage, her _father_. How was she supposed to just ignore that?

She mused on her father for awhile, her thoughts drifting to her family as she left the northern hallways and meandered into the guest halls. Temari was well aware her father and siblings had made a bet on her love life. She was trying to figure a way out of her engagement so that all three men lost their bets. There was no way she was going to let them profit off of her ridiculous excuse for a love life. She'd never live it down. But in order for this to happen, she needed to keep quiet about knowing what they were up to.

And what exactly did she know? Kankuro had bet one thousand yen in favour of her breaking the engagement off during the next three months, while Gaara's was that it would take her at least six more months. Her father, the pain in her arse, was betting the groom-to-be was going to grow sick and tired of this and be the one to cancel everything.

Temari wanted to end her engagement now, and permanently, but then Kankuro would win. If she waited much longer, Gaara would win. But she didn't want to remain engaged to that _idiot_ any longer. Not watching where she was going, she found herself bumping into Captain Yura. He wasn't the nicest person, but she didn't dislike him. He got along with Gaara the most: a mutual respect through their ninja skills had given them a basis to start a strange kind of friendship. But Temari had heard one of Gaara's rants to himself about how _wonderful_ it would feel to crush the life out of the man.

'_Some friendship.'_

For his part, Yura was glad to see Temari. He smirked at her. "The councillors are speaking privately with the dignitaries, and I'm not allowed to let anyone through."

She realised he was standing in front of the door to a lounge set up for the dignitaries.

"Telling them off are they?"

He shrugged. "It's none of my business."

He had a number of duties, the least of which had been his recent trip to Konohagakure. He was directly under Gaara's command in the units they would take out once every month for the war efforts, he was a genjutsu specialist who spent days assisting in the concealment jutsus that kept Sunagakure hidden from lesser Shinobi, and he was a spy for the council with a side order of assassination.

He chuckled inwardly at that.

Yura was loyal to Gaara yes, as the two had a friendship despite the fact that he was supposed to refer to the redhead as his master – being trained by a man almost half his age would feel demeaning if it had been anyone else. He'd had an accident several years ago while on a mission and Gaara's guidance had gotten him back on the mission list. He wouldn't be a Shinobi anymore if he hadn't, so he owed him much. But until he was named Kazekage, the council's orders would always supersede the younger man's. Gaara knew this, but it bothered him.

Yura was diligent about obeying rules and regulations.

Temari was about to snap at the captain (his eyes were roving her body shamelessly, as always), when they were interrupted by the arrival of an ANBU operative.

"Lady Temari," the masked man said, dropping to his knees. "Your presence is required in the Kazekage's chambers."

… …

… …

Sakura was poring over the three thick medical reference books Gaara had supplied when Temari knocked on the door to her father's private chambers. There was a small fore room before the master bedroom that Arō and Karura Sabaku shared, with adjoining hallways that all led to the fore room. It made it more difficult for people to "accidentally" come here. There was no mistaking where those hallways led to.

Speaking of Karura, Temari was surprised she was absent, her shock registering on her face as Kankuro let her in.

"Mum's at the hospital," he said, correctly interpreting her expression. "They've been understaffed, and dad doesn't want her to see this."

'_Ever the unnecessary protector.'_

She really wanted her to meet Sakura, but sighed deeply. It was bound to happen eventually anyway.

"What is everyone doing in the fore room?" She asked, her voice causing the pinkette, who was sitting on a study desk, her feet on the chair, to look up suddenly. Next to her, Gaara gave no indication he had heard her, his eyes on the book in Sakura's hands.

"Oh, hi Temari," Sakura said cheerfully, feeling better to be both out of that cell and not in front of the council.

Temari couldn't help but return her smile.

"Sakura's just catching up on the disease," Kankuro told his sister. "Are you done yet?"

"I've learnt about as much as I'm going to learn from a text book," she said, and slid off the desk.

"And just so you know," Temari told the pinkette, "Arō Sabaku is an arrogant, abrupt asshole."

Kankuro chuckled at this and standing in the corner of the room, Gaara growled softly.

Hiding her own mirth, Sakura stated what she thought was the obvious. "He couldn't possibly be worse than Gaara."

Kankuro threw back his head and laughed, not bothering to hide the extent of his amusement. Truly, this girl was something else. He wiped away a laughing induced tear as Gaara stared at the pinkette now, angrily. He wasn't intimidating her right now, even though she was still wary of him. For some reason, the presence of Kankuro and Temari put her at ease, if only slightly. It was the prospect of being _alone_ with Gaara that would both intimidate her and silence her quips. Right now, she was… safe.

Temari rolled her eyes. "Where do you think Gaara gets it from?"

"Come on," Gaara snapped, grabbing Sakura's arm, eager to get this over with.

Arō was sitting up in bed, looking more ill than he had in the council room, and Sakura had to stop herself from inhaling sharply. She was more formally (and personally) introduced to him and he smiled at her, though she could see by his silent response, what Temari had been talking about. He seemed stiff and proper in the council room, but here it was like he was mix between that and genial.

She schooled her face into her normal medical mask, pulled out of Gaara's grip and moved forward. "Has this been explained to you?" She asked.

He nodded. "I got the gist."

She stepped over to him. "Lie down and close your eyes. I promise I'm not here to harm you."

He glanced at his youngest son, who nodded his head in assent.

Gaara watched impatiently as the pinkette examined his father, his eyes boring into the sickly man. Temari fretted, half pacing near the door as though afraid to come any closer, while Kankuro seemed content, almost detached from the goings on. He leant against the far wall; his eyes were on Sakura as she worked her chakra throughout Arō's body, her face a mask of concentration.

The girl fascinated him, no doubt. If they had been allies he might have made an excuse to visit her often and get to know her better, and under better circumstances. She had a mouth on her, and a temper, but both were things her reputation didn't do justice to. She was so much like her Shishou, who Kankuro _had_ met before today, during an attempted peace talks two years ago that failed as abysmally as he believed this new one would.

Sure, peace would be nice, but he wasn't going to hold his breath on that one. There were too many people in this world who wanted power, and war afforded this to the greedy.

Kankuro swallowed heavily, his eyes raking Sakura's body. He had to get these thoughts out of his head. She wasn't just the enemy, she was their prisoner. No doubt, the council was looking for a reason to have her executed on the spot. So there was no point in getting "attached". And on top of that… his eyes now strayed to Gaara. His brother was falling heavily for the pinkette, and it was _not_ one-sided. He wasn't so stupid that he couldn't see that.

Kankuro's eyes returned to the pinkette. No matter what happened, she was never going to look at _him_ the way she looked at his baby brother. He only prayed now, that Gaara could save her from the council. If anyone could, it was him. His first priority however, was finding out what could be done for their father.

Sakura took the examination slowly, but fast enough that she didn't start getting death glares from Gaara, who seemed determined to get this out of the way so she could heal him. She focused on her work, and could feel Arō's chakra and it was good. Blood circulation had been hampered by the disease, but the chakra seemed unaffected. From what she'd read so far, all the symptoms were consistent with Ilac-Vesical Disease. The external ilian artery supplied blood to the lower extremities, so she moved her chakra over the lower half of Arō's body, checking for the blockages this disease apparently was supposed to cause. They were there but… she bit her bottom lip. Something was off. She pushed her chakra further into his pelvis area, now searching out the internal ilian artery, which was a blood supply for the walls and viscera (digestive organs) of the pelvic cavity, the generative (sexual/reproductive) organs, and inner side of the thigh.

Ilac-Vesical Disease was supposed to clot and coagulate the blood in these areas, eventually leading to internal bleeding and in worst cases, produce a low dose of toxin that coated the walls of the pelvic cavity as a by-product of the coagulation. The poison was there, but it was substantially thick and yet still leaking into the blood stream faster than it should.

There was only one reason Sakura could think of that would explain this.

She pulled her hands away, indicating the examination was over and tried to keep her face neutral as Kankuro was the first to walk over to her.

"Well?" He asked tentatively.

She glanced at Gaara meaningfully and he took the hint, grabbing her arm and pulling her out of the master bedroom without so much as a word to his father or siblings – they didn't seem surprised, only affronted. But he ignored Temari and Kankuro as they called out after him and kept moving until they were out of earshot. Past the fore room and further into the empty hallways that connected to the Kazekage's room (more like the entire wing of a building), he stopped and spun Sakura to face him.

"What is it?" He asked, still holding onto the pinkette.

Sakura did her best to explain the differences between the internal and external arteries and the poison building in Arō's pelvis, as well as the inconsistencies in the symptoms. Gaara understood on a basic level – he was no medic, but still intelligent enough to get what she meant.

"It isn't Ilac-Vesical Disease?"

She shook her head. "No."

"Then what is it, and why did you want to have this conversation away from my father?"

She could see the truth unravelling in his eyes even as he asked the question.

"Because Gaara," she said evenly. "This isn't a disease at all. This didn't happen naturally… he's been deliberately poisoned."

"Poisoned?" Gaara asked, confused.

"Any foreign substance that's introduced into the body that changes its makeup, or the way it normally functions can be classed as a poison," Sakura said in the practised tone she used while working in the Konohagakure medical core, or in the heat of battle.

He nodded slowly. "What is it?"

"There are a number of substances that can do what this one has done," she said. "But for it to have passed as Ilac-Vesical Disease in the first place well, I'm not sure. I'd need a list of all the herbs and chemicals Suna has that are only available in the land of wind, or earth country even, considering access to their supplies would be just as easy."

"I don't know if I can authorise that," he said softly, his mind still on the fact that someone had deliberately poisoned his father. "And I can't trust you unsupervised with anything dangerous like–"

"So, you _want_ him to die then?"

Gaara snapped his head toward her and growled, but unlike the last time she'd outwardly insulted him or his father, he didn't slam her against the wall. It wasn't like he didn't want to; just to feel her pressed against him or under him was a temptation he wished he could give into. But her scent, her touch, and the way she looked at him… he couldn't concentrate, he couldn't do much beyond forcing himself to remember to breathe. And it made him wonder if she knew this, and if this was why she had continued to frustrate him, despite the threat to her life.

Through the connection of his sand, he felt her heart quicken, but she was doing a good job of keeping it off of her face.

"Are you sure?" He growled out, hoping she would feed the doubt in his mind that anyone would do this.

"There is no other explanation."

"This wasn't an… accident?" That sounded lame. How would poison entering one's body without them noticing be an accident?

She shook her head, torn between annoyance that he would doubt her word and sympathy for the fear stricken man in front of her. She found herself wanting to help him – this wasn't about enemies and allies, it was about _family_. Sakura had come to terms with the reasons behind Gaara going to such extremes to capture her and she knew that if positions were reversed, she would no doubt do the same. Family came first after all, and it was nice to see people she considered enemies of Konoha in a more human light.

'_I need to stop sympathising with him,' _she snapped mentally at herself.

"You have a theory about how it happened," he said, realising it was true.

Sakura nodded. "It would have to have been done over time, and in small doses, maybe even of more than one kind of poison."

"Why would it have had to–"

"Our body eventually builds up an immunity to things like poison," she interrupted, "but we have to be exposed a certain amount of times and healed each time for it to eventually have no effect. A snake could bite you, inject its venom and I'd pump out your stomach. Give it say, three or four more times, with a medic healing you each time, and they won't even be able to find the poison in your system anymore."

"I'm sure there's a point to this," he said, annoyed. This was giving him a headache.

Sakura exhaled deeply. "All medical information is important," she snarled. "A large quantity of poison will kill you quickly. But whoever did this clearly wanted it to pass as a natural disease instead of an assassination, so the dosage had to be small, but effective enough to actually do some damage. And as I've already said, poisoning builds up an immunity, if dealt with an anti-venom or whatever. This isn't the case here, and this poison, or fungus, or whatever it turns out to be, has inflicted some serious damage."

She hesitated, biting her bottom lip. But there was no point in beating around the bush about Arō's chances.

"And quite frankly, his chances of survival are not good. It's in his bloodstream and has been for quite some time. Its effects are predominant in both his heart and lungs–"

"Lungs?"

"Yes," she snapped. "There is excessive bleeding in these areas, but not so heavily that your Suna medics would get suspicious."

"Then you must heal him now," Gaara said, and gripped both of her elbows tightly, pulling her face closer to his. He felt an upsurge of urgency and couldn't stop himself before he started to dig his fingers into her skin, almost possessively.

"Gaara let go!" She struggled and cried out. "You're hurting me!"

He wasn't drawing blood, and it was the sudden contracting of the sand around her wrists that really hurt.

"Gaara."

The sound of his father's voice roused him; Gaara released the pinkette as his father and siblings filed into the deserted hallway in which he'd chosen to hear the fate of his Kazekage. He couldn't look him in the eye and instead of facing up to what had just happened, he shunshined out, leaving Sakura to his family to deal with.

… …

… …

Tsunade would be lying if she said she trusted Orochimaru completely. Back when the second Senkage had almost gotten Otogakure destroyed, the only ally in the vicinity was the snake Sannin, so he'd taken his squad, which at the time was more like a small army (who knew why he'd felt he had to do _that_), and gone to the aid of the Oto nin who were still fighting. That act had earned him more respect in one night than anyone had anticipated, and with the Oto forces decimated, yet victorious, they had officially asked him to lead them.

The fifth Hokage had grown up with the white faced idiot, but even _she_ had been surprised by the level of commitment he'd shown a foreign land. He hadn't gotten Hokage like he'd wanted, and she could see the anger in him when the third had put her in the position after the fourth's death.

Some people had even whispered accusations to him for Minato Namikaze's demise. But he was cleared of all charges – Minato had died from a sickness originating over the border of fire. Ultimately, people began blaming other countries, which was no surprise to Tsunade. People were easily led astray.

She'd checked Minato out herself – it hadn't been assassination, just a contagious virus which was now easily combated. And then Kushina Uzumaki had died giving birth to Naruto, her heart broken, her immune system compromised. Fate was cruel.

Shaking herself of these thoughts, Tsunade sighed. With Sakura missing, she could understand Naruto's outburst, but she didn't have the luxury to start blaming everyone in sight. But she had no intention of just leaving her surrogate daughter in Suna to rot. She had a plan. They needed to infiltrate Suna, but as much as she loved Sakura, Tsunade would not order anyone to risk their lives in such a foolhardy mission. That was why the squad would consist only of volunteers. They were expecting a fight, even though this was technically a covert mission – search and retrieval.

After Tsunade had sent Sakura's closest friends away on their own individual tasks, she was left alone with the snake Sannin, but it quickly changed when Jiraiya had heard he was in town. The pervert had entered through her window, _again_, and more than anything, was excited by the fact that they were "all together again" as he put it. Tsunade could've killed him in that instant, but the tension that came from the three of them being in the same room made her too uneasy.

But finally, it was Jiraiya who broke the silence, while Tsunade stared daggers at Orochimaru. The snake master pointedly ignored her glare, acting as though she were happy to see him.

"I'm offended you came straight to Tsunade instead of me," he joked. "I haven't seen you in a long time."

Orochimaru grinned a grin appropriate for his reptile loving demeanour. "I didn't want to go looking for you, find you at the bath house, and then have to tell poor Tsunade what you were up to."

Jiraiya laughed. "I gave that up when Tsunade took me back. It was one of her conditions actually…" He rubbed the back of his head absentmindedly. "Well anyway, not that it's not good to see you again, but what merits the occasion? Don't tell me," he turned to his Hokage, "it's Sakura isn't it?"

Jiraiya was the first person Naruto trusted that was over the age of twenty-five. Well, he'd like to think his age had nothing to do with it, but the point was that he only knew the _exact_ details of what had happened because of the knucklehead. Tsunade never came to him about _anything_. Orochimaru answered him.

"I was just about to tell Lady Tsunade I came to Konoha personally to help with the search and rescue," he said.

Even Jiraiya was surprised, and they both stared at him. Orochimaru was offering _his_ help... _his_! Specifically his. That alone sent a shiver down the Hokage's spine. But it had to be Sasuke, always Sasuke, who had convinced him to do this. The Uchiha was still in love with the pinkette, this was certain. His mission in Otogakure was supposed to take priority, and he'd ended his relationship with Sakura over it, but when she was taken, he'd come running back.

'_Bit late to show he cares, though.'_

But still, why would Orochimaru only mention this after the others had left?

Standing a foot away from Tsunade's desk, with only Jiraiya in the room as a witness to the unexpected helpfulness of the snake Sannin, Orochimaru just smirked at Tsunade, waiting for her to recover from his blasé comment. He wasn't one to offer this lightly. In all the years she had known the man, she would never have thought he'd risk this much for a Kunoichi he hadn't even met. This would make her suspicious, but she gave up trying to figure him out years ago. Everything he did now only seemed to benefit Otogakure, and by extension, their relationship with Konoha. He wasn't the nicest person, he never hesitated to admit he was selfish, rude, and tactless, but… it got old after awhile, waiting for him to snap and kill them all.

But still, Tsunade wondered how recovering Sakura could help Otogakure. To them she was just a Kunoichi who happened to have studied under the Hokage. Was the only female member of the legendary Sannin the reason Orochimaru wanted to help, regardless of Sasuke? The Sannin seemed eager to help the boy.

Another shiver wracked her body.

"Why?" She asked throatily.

"She's like a daughter to you, yes?" He asked, knowing the answer. "And how upset would you be if the Sunagakure council executed her?"

Jiraiya snorted, but remained quiet. Trust him to say such a thing so casually. She would be devastated, he _knew_ this. And Tsunade decided to pretend it had been a rhetorical question. It was helping her resist pummelling his smirking, arrogant face.

"What is it _exactly_ that Oto is offering in aid of the recovery of Sakura Haruno?"

"Oto offers nothing," Orochimaru said shrewdly. "You will have it whether you want it or not."

"And what is _it_?"

"A spy in Sunagakure of course."

…

X X X

…

**A/N: This chapter is crazy all over the place compared to what I'd originally planned because something inside me one day, just snapped… I'll leave you guys to ponder the meaning behind that one. Well, there was more on the Suna front before, and I'll be making that up next time… next time will be 60% to 90% Suna anyway. ;P****  
><strong>**And as for Sasuke, his strongest contribution to this fic is still upcoming, and more of a slow burn than not. ;)  
>Lotsa love! ^_^<strong>

**R&R.**

A quick poll:

What other side-pairing would you like to eventually read here? No ideas to offer, just want to know, generally.  
>There's a debate with both Shikamaru and Ino raging in my head because I actually don't mind about 6 pairings that include her, and only 2 with him, but ShikaTema (FAV!) is too impractical… for now. ;)<p>

**Btw, current, definite side-pairings: NaruHina, NejiTen, Tsunade/Jiraiya.**


	7. Want, Need and Desire

**A/N: Miss me? ;)  
>If you're not a plant biologist, or you're not a farmer, then fair warning: nor am I. ^_^ When I started writing this chapter I knew there were going to be references to herbs and such, so I made sure I knew what I was talking about. I have a brown thumb, but a thumb that loves to learn new things. ;)<strong>

**Anyway, thanks to** angrypixels, SapphireRivulet, StarKiss666, DramaQueenAnon, HereToRead84, my-threesome, karma eater, Happyfish, GaaraFanGirl, LittleNightmare92, JUICY, Analelle, jellybeansinabottle, Refrigerator-Burn, XBloodMageRikaX, acetwolf94, Melodi Moon, ZapZapYotsuba, xSakuraWings,kanjimaru67, **and** IridescentInTheDark **for reviewing chapter 5.**

SapphireRivulet: **I don't normally ship any Sasuke pairings really, so no worries. And yeah, this is a one-sided SasuSaku – I just forgot to mention that last time, sorry. :)  
><strong>StarKiss666: **Hi again! Yeah… I noticed that most people who ship GaaSaku don't seem to like Sasuke at all. It makes me insanely curious as to why; instinct I suppose. And as for Orochimaru, hate away darl. ;P  
><strong>JUICY: ** I love one-sided KankSaku too! So yeah, I think that might just happen here. ;)**

***deliriously contented sigh* I love you guys… ****E****njoy! ^_^**

…

– Chapter 6 –  
>.:. Want, Need and Desire :.<p>

…

The birds that frequented the skies of Suna were hardier than the avian Sakura Haruno knew from the land of fire. Migratory species weren't used for summons or alerts and the native birds here were creeping her out. For almost two days now, a vulture-like beast had been nesting near the greenhouses and every time she walked between the gardens, it would give her the evil eye. She felt completely ridiculous, wary of some stupid bird and imagining it was glaring at her as though silently daring her to come closer so it would have an excuse to attack.

But there it was, watching her and all the hair on the back of her neck would stand on end. This place was getting under her skin, _literally_. She'd had to get a whole new set of clothes since the first time she'd arrived in Suna. The dusty environment here was playing havoc with her skin so her new handmaid had provided her with more appropriate clothes – ones that protected all the vital areas of her body. She'd also heard from Kankuro that the sandstorms in the desert lately were getting more dangerous: this increased the chances of them sweeping draughts of sand into Suna.

It was beyond annoying.

Sakura wished she could walk down the streets of Suna, if only to shop and sightsee: even an enemy village had clothes stores. But her movements were regulated, which amounted only to her travel between the suite provided for her, the herb gardens, and greenhouses. She was the first to admit that under normal circumstances, she could be a workaholic, but this was not the hospital back in Konoha – it was an assault on the senses. The air was sandy and humid, not sterile.

Still, at least the mesa that hugged the exterior of the greenhouses provided shaded spots for her to work in to avoid the desert sun – she just moved her workstation to accommodate the movement of the sun. The way the wall surrounded the houses was strategic – the more resilient vegetation sat nestled in the northern plots where the rays would hit them at the sun's peak every day, while the force grown herbs (the cultigen: plants biologically altered through artificial selection) which required more shade had been purposefully placed to avoid direct sunlight. And yet despite her incarceration in this dishevelled, _humid_ village, Sakura was finding a strange kind of pleasure as she perused and tended to the herbs she would need to cure the Kazekage.

'_I just feel like I need a shower every five minutes.'_

Some medicinal herbs had adverse effects on the human body if administered in the wrong dosage: harmless in small quantities but toxic in larger doses. There were no naturally growing medicinal herbs so far that Sakura had found in Suna that would help Arō and nothing in the pallets of the village's finest medicine, brought to her the hospital staff, either.

So the pinkette had been forced to think "outside the box". She created a hydrous paste from a collection of herbs that had slowed down the Kazekage's deterioration when she injected it into his body using her chakra – the body was mostly water, but the solution absorbs and breaks down toxic material, just not quick enough to eradicate it entirely. But the damage to Arō's body was still severe, despite her best efforts and if she could isolate the protein that was feeding the toxin, she could bolster his immune system – it was working against him, ignoring the poison, and hampering every solution she fleshed out.

The work was tedious and slow going… made worse by the periodic interruptions.

Sakura's head whipped around automatically when one of the assistants standing several feet away from her dropped a tray and the clatter resounded violently – she already had a headache. The young woman didn't apologise, just shrugging her shoulders as she bent to pick up after herself. Almost immediately, a small gust of sand slid along the ground and Sakura's attention was again distracted. The sudden appearance of her personal bodyguard was not surprising – he'd been watching her almost constantly for the last two days on the premise that he didn't want any more repeats of what had happened with that Iwagakure dignitary. Like she was helpless… the idiot.

But she had known he was there, almost like a second skin in the shadows.

Gaara dismissed the clumsy assistant and the others followed suit as the Kaze-heika came up to stand behind the pinkette. He was standing _too_ close for her to concentrate; even when he wasn't in the greenhouse, she could still _feel_ him watching her. He had immediately banished the ANBU guards sent to watch her by the council two days ago, and since then had hung around either just out of sight or in her personal space.

His presence during her work also seemed to instil a kind of reluctant courtesy from the Shinobi of the village. They seemed to consider her ignoble and unworthy – the only reason no-one had attacked her was because of the Kaze-heika, especially after Gaara had personally started seeing to her "safety". Like she couldn't look after herself! She had already proven this to him, but he wouldn't listen. He didn't need to watch her at all times, he didn't need to get in her face when she was taking a break – although she didn't mind that he was nearby, his over protectiveness was beginning to annoy her.

Sunagakure had a library that was available to the public, but Sakura poked, prodded, and pestered Gaara until he agreed to lend her some volumes from the ninja based one. She already knew what she would need if the only accessible plantation was in the land of fire. The land of wind was so barren by comparison that the list of available, medicinal flora was shockingly lower than she was used to.

Gaara would dismiss the medics assigned to assist her when he came in close, and then proceed to make her deliriously uncomfortable. Right now, he was standing right behind her, literally looking over her shoulder. Two days on from his angry reaction to her diagnosis on his father's condition had turned him into an incorrigible flirt. She'd had to remind him almost constantly when he did this, that her work was delicate and he was distracting her from _healing his father_. And her current frustration was all his fault: he hadn't told anyone that his father's condition wasn't a natural disease. So Sakura had one hand tied behind her back, while he distracted her with that flirty voice of his.

She was beginning to think the news of the attempted assassination had addled his brain.

"Must you do that?" She asked, trying to keep the needy desire out of her voice. She really _needed_ to concentrate. She was standing at her workbench, peering through a microscope, and the next thing she knew, his sand was working its way around her waist.

"You've been working too hard," he said huskily, his mouth on the nape of her neck as he gripped the wood of the workbench, caging her in. "You can leave early today."

"It's not sundown yet."

"It will be soon."

Without giving her a chance to respond, he embraced her waist from behind and his sand whipped up around them. Sakura gave a startled groan of frustration as she felt her body being lifted off the ground. The scent of perfectly cultivated vegetation (not to mention nearby compost) gave way to the aromatic lavender fragrance her personal handmaid had had ready for her every evening upon her return to her room.

Sakura pulled away from him immediately, but only managed one step backward and into a wall – her suite wasn't exactly majestic, but it offered all the comforts and a bathroom of her own. She was glad for small favours when the bathroom was stocked of everything she needed and the handmaid Gaara assigned to her said she had Temari to thank for that.

For the enemy, they were treating her better than she had expected – ignorant of those days in the cell perhaps.

"Sakura," Gaara said, moving toward her as she backed off. "You don't have to fear me."

"Of course I do."

He stopped an inch from her, watching her reaction to his proximity with interest. Her heart was racing – he could feel it through the sand – and for a moment, he thought it was just fear. It was a sweet elixir, a combination of heightened concern and physical allure. Her attraction to him was heightening his to her and he couldn't stop himself from reaching out and brushing hair out of her eyes. Her pink tresses were dry and malnourished from spending all day in that god forsaken greenhouse, working and not taking a break unless he interrupted her. Gaara had decided not to tell anyone what had been done to his father – it would only cause a panic and put her in danger. He needed to draw out the culprit, but only once Sakura cracked the cure. But he often found himself deliberately distracting her – she had a temporary solution that would buy them some time, and time was what Gaara needed.

"I won't hurt you," he said softly.

She swallowed heavily. "Because I'm helping you. But once I'm done, I want your word you'll set me free."

The lack of fear in her voice was at odds with the sensations she was sending him via the sand and this angered him. Gaara slammed his open palm against the wall behind her and she jumped slightly, startled. He stared down at the pinkette with a fury that had her terrified for her life. But she would not back down, she would not cower under his gaze. She deserved this, and he _owed_ her. She _wanted_ her freedom, and they both knew that he would have to unblock her chakra for her to fully heal his father, when the time came.

"Unblock my chakra," she said. "Do it or he'll just continue to deteriorate and suffer until the poison finally _kills_ him."

He considered this: what were the chances that he could stop her from attacking even one person once she had her full strength? She was in an enemy village and surrounded. He would leave his sand around her wrist and could find her at a moment's notice… she wasn't going to get very far if she tried.

Sakura meanwhile, was debating whether or not she'd just angered the Kaze-heika one too many times. There had to be a reason he didn't want anyone to know that the Kazekage had been poisoned, but by the look on Gaara's face, he wasn't thinking about that right now. Still, she was ninety percent sure he wasn't the one poisoning the man. Well, maybe eighty percent. The redhead growled softly at her, much like a predator would.

'_Make that seventy percent.'_

Still, it was better odds than the alternative.

"Or I could just kill you right now," he said.

She knew that he knew it was an empty threat – they both knew it was inevitable, but neither were saying it. He would rather sit through one of Kankuro's "infamous" poetry readings than willingly kill the one person who could cure his father. The council had already made up their mind, but Arō was on the fence. He'd never been one to condone execution, but if she wasn't willing to heal him, wasn't that the same thing as her signing her own death certificate anyway? It would mean she served no more purpose and keeping her alive was a waste of time. Gaara couldn't protect her if she did that.

He couldn't help her. She had to help herself.

The only hope she had was to heal Arō and hope he overruled the council, which, even if he tried, probably wouldn't work. The council seemed intent on making an example of the prized student of the Hokage. They couldn't just let her live. Of course, they'd entertained the idea of trading her, possibly getting things from Konoha that they wouldn't be able to. But their intelligence on the leaf council put that idea to rest. They would never trade secrets or anything of value for a singular person, no matter who they were.

If that was to happen, then there was nothing Gaara could do to protect her, even if he was pronounced Kazekage before said execution.

"You will heal him?" Gaara asked softly, the hope in his deep, husky voice obvious.

"I do not even know if I can," she said honestly.

He snarled at her, placing his hands against the wall, on either side of her head, forcing her harder against the wall. He leant in toward her, his face an inch from hers. The warmth of his breath sent an unexpected chill through her body.

"Then you will die," he said harshly.

"And what will that accomplish?" She asked heatedly. "The Hokage will not rest until I've been avenged and this war will never end. Do you really want that?"

He stared at her fixedly, trying to figure out whether or not the prospect of her own death scared her. She spoke with more conviction over the war. He found this trait admirable, but Gaara did _not_ want to watch her be executed. The Sunagakure method of execution was somewhat more barbaric when compared to the one she might be familiar with in Konohagakure. He didn't want to witness that. He didn't want to watch her die.

She knew what was coming before he finally closed the distance between them. But with her body pressed against the wall and the sand bracelet choking her chakra reserves, she couldn't push him away. His sand held her arms against the wall and as his lips found hers the well-toned body of Gaara Sabaku crashed against hers. Sakura couldn't figure him out. One moment he looked ready to kill her, the next he was _kissing_ her! He lifted a hand to the side of her face as she refused him entry into her mouth. His tongue teased her lips, and they both _knew_ she wanted it. But she was stubborn, and his thumb pressed down on her chin to pry her lips apart; his tongue darted in and Sakura moaned before she could stop herself.

He was getting to her so easily.

Lost to the desire in her body that wanted to let him take her here and now, Sakura threw her arms around his neck. She tasted good for someone who'd spent the entire day in the company of plants and soil, and Gaara couldn't get enough of her. He ran his right hand under her left leg and pulled her knee up to rest on his hip. Both of her legs instinctively wrapped around his lean body and she gripped him tighter, tugging on his crimson hair as he grinded his hips into hers. She gave herself into the moment, tasting him, feeling him against her, and pretending for the time being that she wasn't his prisoner. Her feelings for him had been steadily increasing since the moment she'd seen him in the forest, but this was the coup de grâce – she had fallen so far, so fast and wanted him to throw her onto her bed and damn the consequences.

In the back of her mind, she knew this was inevitable, what with his advances and the way his proximity alone was enough to send her common sense packing. But if she did this, if she went all the way, wouldn't that make her a traitor? She could justify healing Arō when the time came – she was a medic, it was her job – but how could she excuse sleeping with the enemy?

Gaara moved against her, eliciting a primal groan from the pinkette. But she had to stop this, she had to be the voice of reason. Sakura released her grip on his hair with effort. Every instinct in her was screaming to keep going, to push him onto her bed and undress him – Kami knew it was what they both wanted. She gripped his shirt, lowering her legs and pushing at him.

The disappointment and anguish on his face sent her heart aflutter and she knew that her expression mirrored his. But she couldn't do this… not now, maybe not ever. She just wanted to do what she needed to earn her release, _if_ such a thing was possible at this rate.

… …

… …

Without a word, Gaara had left her to wallow in her decision. She felt the sand tighten and then loosen on her wrist as the night wore on – she tried in vain to sleep, but shortly before midnight, Sakura sat up in her bed, wide awake as the other Sabaku male checked up on her.

"So, he told you what happened?" Sakura asked, though she knew better.

Kankuro was standing against the door to her suite, a sympathetic look on his face. "No, but I'm guessing it wasn't anything you want to talk about." He sighed. "I think I know what happened but, I came here to tell you that if you turn him down again, he won't force himself on you. I don't believe he would ever do that."

Sakura swallowed heavily, grateful for that information. Even though she was a prisoner and not valuable beyond her ability to heal their father, the sand siblings spoke to her as an equal. They had a personal stake in her presence here, beyond political reasons, but she honestly believed none of them were simply "playing nice". Arō was the enemy more than them, as the politically powerful leader of Sunagakure, and his manner was more abrupt than necessary, but his two oldest children hadn't snapped at her at all.

But Gaara was another matter.

Sakura was terrified he was going to rape her, despite Kankuro's assurances, and the fact that the redhead _had_ left her be when she pulled away from him. He fit the profile of someone who didn't care who he hurt, as long as he got what he wanted, but she wanted to believe Kankuro.

As if she didn't have enough to worry about.

Kankuro started talking about relationships, mentioning that Temari had a fiancé she clearly had no intention of marrying and he himself was single… was that a hint? Sakura in turn, spoke of someone she'd been forgetting to remember lately, at least when Gaara was coming onto her.

"Sasuke Uchiha?" Kankuro asked, intrigued. "I heard he was some kind of genius."

Sakura smiled. "He is."

And Itachi: the older brother's abilities had come more naturally however, but their respective genius were in their own calibre and it wasn't fair to compare them, really. The older brother was a prodigy, like Neji Hyuuga, while Sasuke was more like Naruto than he'd be willing to admit – living in the shadow of someone else's abilities but so incredibly talented himself that he was a genius in his own right. Though they had both had to work harder to get there.

"Are you two sweeties?" Kankuro asked, noting the look on her face.

She shook her head. "We were, but then he accepted a long term mission in Otogakure and broke off our relationship."

"Why?" He couldn't imagine _why_.

She shrugged. "He said it would be easier that way."

Kankuro snorted. "_Right_."

The tone in his voice was pure derision and she couldn't help but smile at that. "I guess I still think of him as my boyfriend," she said, shrugging. "Even though we're not together anymore."

"I'm not sure what you want me to say to that," Kankuro said. "I think you deserve better than someone who would dump you over a single mission, but if you like someone who likes you back, then you that shouldn't let them running away be a deterrent to hunting them down." He rubbed the back of his head. "Well, I'll just go with 'just follow your heart' shall I?"

She giggled at that, despite herself. "Thank you Kankuro. I think I might be able to sleep now."

He nodded and stood up. "Good night Sakura."

Kankuro took one last look at the pinkette as she tried to rest her eyes, before turning around and leaving her to sleep. Instead of the Uchiha, his thoughts dwelled on Sakura's weird new "relationships" with Gaara. The truth was that the redhead wasn't pissed off with Sakura. Gaara understood her position, even though he fully intended on changing it. It was the council that was getting on his last nerve. They wanted to have her tortured until she agreed to help, which the red head refused to let them do. He was fighting them every inch of the way with this, and if Sakura knew this, Kankuro was sure she'd be more receptive to him. But that stupid, arrogant baby brother of his didn't want her to know this.

Kankuro wasn't an idiot; he could see that his brother's interest in the pinkette was reciprocated. Neither of them were hiding it very well, even though Gaara wasn't very good at expressing what he wanted, let alone how he felt. He was however, going to great lengths to keep Sakura out of the interrogator's "office". But he wasn't the Kazekage… yet. It was only a matter of time before even Gaara's influence would fail to save the pinkette. Kankuro sighed as he made his way out of this wing of the building complex. He didn't want to see her hurt either, but it didn't matter; either she healed Arō Sabaku, or the council fully intended on having her executed. It was as simple as that.

… …

… …

The next morning, no-one came to take Sakura to the greenhouses. She worried about this, but the handmaid assigned to her had a perfectly reasonable explanation – they were preparing for the Kazekage's birthday: the twenty-ninth of March she'd said, the day after Sakura's birthday.

'_And there won't be a feast fit for a Kage for __my__ birthday.'_

She missed her home even more than before, remembering she'd soon be turning twenty-one. This was supposed to be a hallmark event, turning twenty-one, but no-one here knew when her birthday was. She hadn't even told Kankuro. Sakura felt like crying.

She missed Konoha, her friends, her family and… everyone. She also found herself missing a certain redhead. She regretted what happened between them last night – her pulling away, and that insufferably inconsolable look on his face. She needed him more than she was willing to admit, and something told her he already knew that.

The Kazekage's birthday was still two months away, but that didn't mean that Gaara should ignore her completely. Still, she understood that he felt he needed to use it as an excuse not to see her. He went into full avoidance mode when he didn't get something from her that he wanted. It was rather childish, but… she understood. It was just who he was.

But that didn't make her feel less miserable. She had the whole day to herself, and she was bored to tears. The handmaid wasn't much for conversation, just giving her quick answers to her questions as she tidied up and scurrying out of the suite the instant she was finished.

But around lunch time, Sakura found herself face to face with the only female of the sand siblings, and the blonde was bearing a gift. The plant in her hands was called a bonsai – a miniature tree grown in a container (a tray or low-sided pot). It was an art form more than anything, but Sakura loved the things. Temari couldn't possibly know that, could she?

Temari walked past the stunned pinkette and placed the bonsai on the window sill where it could catch some sun and turned around to face her.

"You need the company," she said. "Are you okay?"

Sakura realised that Kankuro wasn't the only one who had an idea of what had happened the night before. Perhaps the bonsai was a comforting gift? "You heard." It wasn't a question.

Temari felt like hugging the pinkette and had to force herself not to. She didn't look happy, but Sakura responded apathetically to any and all comfort. Something was bugging her – something that had to do with Gaara. Kankuro had told her that their little brother had seemed testier than usual last night, and after speaking with Sakura, he realised something had happened. Kankuro was adamant they'd almost had sex, while the blonde wasn't… until now. Looking at the pinkette, she suddenly understood why he'd thought this.

Sakura didn't wait for a response and moved over to the window. "I have a bonsai in my apartment back home," she said, running her fingers over the plant. "My friend Ino always made fun of me for having a plant that was purely for show."

"She doesn't like plants?"

Sakura smiled. "She loves them, almost as much as their flowers. She just decided I wasn't a plant person and thought it funny that the only greenery I owned was a bonsai of all things."

"Sounds like a good friend."

She looked up to meet Temari's eyes. "Second to Naruto."

"I was being sarcastic."

"I know." Sakura inhaled deeply. "Ino's probably looking after it for me…. I hope."

The sadness in her voice tugged at her and the blonde stared at the bonsai. "I'm sorry you were forced to come here."

Sakura thought of Gaara, the way he teased her one moment and turned angry the next. The idea of coming here initially had been terrifying to her, though she'd never admit it, except to Naruto perhaps. But she was finding herself oddly grateful. If Arō hadn't fallen ill, if he hadn't been targeted in an attempt at assassination, Gaara wouldn't have thought twice about kidnapping her. She realised it was twisted, being glad some stranger had attacked her and carried her back to his village, but there was nothing she could do about that. She missed Konoha and wanted to go home, but still, the idea of never seeing the Kaze-heika again made her sad.

But she couldn't have it both ways.

"Don't worry about it," Sakura said, realising Temari was feeling guiltier with every second she hesitated to respond.

"Well, you'll be able to go home right?" The blonde asked, smiling. "And who knows, maybe we can be allies and I'll visit you in Konoha."

"I'd like that."

Temari chuckled. "Of course, I'd have to bring an ANBU squad for protection, just in case."

"I'm sure _someone_ would be willing to kidnap you," Sakura said sarcastically, earning herself a pouting blonde.

"That's not funny."

"It was hilarious. Come in," she added. There was someone on the other side of the door to her suite, but she continued to smirk at the blonde as it opened.

"Temari?" Kankuro was surprised to see his sister. "I didn't expect to find you here."

The blonde frowned at her brother. "Of course I'm here, who else is going to help Sakura, you? Neither you nor Gaara would worry about the fact that she's a _girl_ so–"

She was joking, Sakura knew this – they'd been talking botany and imaginary future friendships, not about girly stuff. But the puppet master bought it.

Kankuro waved his hands defensively. "I know she's a she but I don't like the way this conversation is going. Umm…" He hesitated nervously. "Isn't the handmaid looking after her girly needs?"

"Aargh!" Temari belted him over the head. "Idiot!" She pushed him roughly out of Sakura's room; she slammed the door in his face and he gaped at it like a fish out of water.

Kankuro felt sorry for his sister's fiancé… and whatever man she actually _did_ end up marrying.

'_Women.'_

… …

… …

The rest of the day passed quickly for Temari. She supervised the reconstruction on some of the recently demolished buildings that had been torn down due to health and safety reasons and shortly before sundown, found herself seeking out her family. Her mother was spending more and more time at the hospital, which always worried the blonde – who in their right mind _chose_ to bask in the sterility of a hospital?

She found her brothers and father in the great hall where the festivities for Arō Sabaku's birthday party were to be held. The hall was currently undergoing renovations which were less about health and safety and more about keeping up appearances. She came into the heated discussion the three men were having on the end of Gaara's comment.

"…I want Sakura at the festivities."

"Are you crazy Gaara?" Temari snapped before Kankuro could (his mouth was wide open and everything), and then frowned. "You are, aren't you?"

"You can't have Sakura attend the Kazekage's birthday celebrations," Kankuro said, although he could admit to himself he wanted her there too. "The nobles won't allow an enemy in there, it will sour the night for _them_."

"He has a point," Arō said, rubbing his wrists gently. "Although, if you manage to convince her to heal me before the night's festivities I'm sure they could be convinced to tolerate her presence."

Gaara frowned at him slightly. Only he and Sakura knew that the illness ravaging the Kazekage's body was a deliberate attempt at assassination. The man had enough on his plate, and the news that someone had poisoned him would make him suspicious of everyone around him, allowing it to travel outside of those who could actually be trusted. He needed anonymity in order to catch this traitor. Gaara had already decided it was someone his father trusted.

He had hoped that by having Sakura there, he could somehow gauge everyone's reaction and see who put up a façade of wanting her in the village. There would be plenty of people who would rather jump across the tables and throttle her for being from Konohagakure, but how many would be plotting to kill the Kazekage and finding the only person that could heal him across from them and needing to get her out of the way, _quietly_?

"And you," Temari said, once the silence reminded her that her father wasn't supposed to be in here. "What do you think you're doing out of bed? Do you want to drop dead before Sakura's finished with you or something?"

His retort stirred up the temper Temari was known for and leaving them to bicker amongst themselves, Gaara made his way to the council room. He often eavesdropped on them, since he didn't trust them anymore than he trusted anyone outside of Sunagakure's alliances. It was how he'd discovered that Arō was sick in the first place, and later how he'd found out that the Suna medics couldn't do anything for him anymore but just dull the pain. It was never good news, but it was news all the same.

There was a hidden passage only used by servants that were sealed off years ago. The council didn't know about them, and they provided ample cover. Of course, Gaara suppressed his chakra signal every time to avoid being caught, which also helped.

As predicted, they were in their weekly meeting and due to Arō's sickness, had decided to go through the business of their politics without the Kazekage present (clearly, they didn't know he was currently refusing to remain bedridden). But by the time Gaara shifted into the passageway, he realised they'd started early and were almost done. There seemed to be one last item on their agenda. He couldn't see all their faces, his view of Kokome however, clear as day. She looked forlorn.

"I understand," she said, but didn't look remotely happy. "Then we will not inform the Kaze-heika of this decision until the last possible moment?"

"_No_." That was Sakyou's voice. "He is infatuated with the leaf Kunoichi and will attempt to dissuade our decision. It is best he not be informed, for now."

Kokome lowered her head but said nothing; Satsumi spoke next, her voice firm but saddened. "And so we are decided?"

"Yes," Sakyou said, his voice filled with barely contained excitement. "Once the Kaze-heika has convinced the Konohagakure Kunoichi to heal our beloved Kazekage and she has done so, we will finally set the official date for her execution."

… …

… …

The sun had set in the land of wind, and from the edge of the forest that bordered the land of rivers, Kakashi Hatake watched as a sandstorm picked up between his position and the direction he knew Sunagakure to be. And by the looks of it, it was a nasty one. He'd been to the land of wind countless times on missions, and even managed to get close enough to the outer walls of the village hidden in the sand without being spotted. On that occasion, he had caught up to a courier to stop them from entering Suna – the message scroll the man had been delivering was an intelligence report that normally would've been carried by a ninja, or at least a delivery ninja.

Sometimes sending information via a less conspicuous delivery system allowed it to pass through slip nets… sometimes not. It had been an unofficial report based on troop movement within the land of fire, and enlightening, apparently.

Kakashi glanced behind himself, to the others in his group, as the sounds of the two former friends of the group caught his attention – they were bickering again. The rest of his group consisted of Naruto Uzumaki, Ino Yamanaka, Sasuke Uchiha, the two medics Ino had handpicked (he thought he heard her call them… Shiro and Amai?), as well as two ANBU that Kakashi knew well (their code names were Shune and Haro).

Naruto was picking this particular fight with Sasuke (not that the Uchiha hadn't goaded him, in his own way), and he was biting back, while Ino tried to play mediator – a little too shrilly for Kakashi's taste. Sasuke's voice carried over to the copy ninja: he was telling Ino and Naruto _both_ to lower their voices as they weren't in Konoha anymore and their shrieking sounds would nothing but draw unwanted attention.

Kakashi sighed heavily, wishing they would _all_ just shut up. The past two days had been exactly like this – why couldn't they just get along? Sitting around the fire, they were all glaring and didn't stop even as the silver haired ninja dropped down from his high vantage point to instruct an ANBU to take his place as lookout.

"Put a sock in it you lot," he said. In order to get away from the feuding brats, the second ANBU as well as the two medics, had moved out of the light of the campsite at Kakashi's order. "I think it's bedtime," he added.

"Kakashi Sensei," Naruto said through gritted teeth. "Why do I have to share a tent with teme?"

"Because I said so." Kakashi had no intention of sleeping in the same tent as any of them, and Ino planned to bunk with the medics.

"But–"

"Just go to bed Naruto. You'll need all your strength: we're heading into wind territory in the morning."

Naruto stood up reluctantly, but then stopped, his eyes drifting outward, toward the border to the land of wind that was now shrouded by woodland. "I still don't get it – _how_ exactly are we getting into Suna?"

"The Senkage's spy will open the secret passage he told us about on tomorrow's sunset," Kakashi reminded the impatient blonde. "From there, we'll be on our own, but we should enter Sunagakure unseen."

…

X X X

…

**A/N: Okay, the chapters are breaching the limit of what I'd originally planned on… but don't get used to it. It's just coming out this way. Every chapter will be 5000+ words though (not including author notes), so it's all good. ;)**

**Lotsa love! ^_^**

**R&R.**

Yep, I've caught the polling bug. It's going around right now. ;)  
><span>A quick poll<span>:

Favourite pairing cliché or clichés on fanfiction. Pairing doesn't matter.

Mine's GaaSaku, of course… AU bad boy meets good girl – dark and/or dangerous GaaSaku. My Achilles heel, lol.


	8. On Shaky Ground

**A/N: Yep, I'm late. *shrugs* It happens. I took something like twice as long to write the final chapter of my recent Dramione, and a full year to do ten chapters for the now complete NaruHina, so in the grand scheme of things, it's all good. :)  
><strong>**Anyway, this chapter is a mix between a filler and focal culmination. I merged chapters 7 and 8 because it was becoming increasingly difficult to write as two. So sorry if it feels rushed, though to my eyes it's fine. n_n **

**Thanks to** IridescentInTheDark, DramaQueen, hyuugahinata247, Analelle, XBloodMageRikaX, my-threesome, SapphireRivulet, StarKiss666, jellybeansinabottle, LittleNightmare92, Refrigerator-Burn, Bk Elizabeth, Pipra, TheRedGirl0000000000, Cindy Medeiros, Adwoax3, shadow miko, Tami23, gaara-sasusaku7, LilithiaRW, Freak-With-Issues **and** w (ANON) **for reviewing chapter 6.**

Analelle: **Honestly, I'd completely forgotten about Chiyo. If she pops into my head while writing or editing, she may make it into a chapter or so. Yep, ItaSaku is incredibly hot... :)  
><strong>gaara-sasusaku7: **Well, I'm glad to finally hear from you, then. ^_^ Thank you so much for the in depth review: it really did lift my spirits on a not-so-good day. I love long reviews. And yeah, I noticed the mistakes, but my lazy ass prevented me from going straight back to fix them at the time. All done now though... hopefully. :)**

**E****njoy! ^_^ **

…

– Chapter 7 –  
>.:. On Shaky Ground :.<p>

…

The sun had long since set – the night owls were currently partying and boozing it up around town and every Shinobi worth their salt was already sound asleep. Sunagakure was like any other village – cooler the lower the sun hung in the sky – so what people didn't know (and tourists learnt the hard way) was how _cold_ it could get at night, regardless of the season. Sure, winter brought sub-zero temperatures in the hours striding midnight, but even summer had its fair share of frosty winds. It just never froze anything over.

Sunagakure was _not_ a furnace… all of the time.

Still, it had its heat waves, and for this time of year, Suna was hotter and grittier than usual.

Gaara normally didn't sleep very long, but the heat calmed him; tonight was different, he could _feel_ it. But his insomnia this time had little to do with the weather. He tossed and turned, remembering what he'd overheard in the council chambers and contemplated just murdering the old geezers in their sleep – no-one would suspect him and Sakura wouldn't become permanent fixture on their pitch forks. It was a win-win situation. But he worried nonetheless, as he was often prone to do, that this selfish act would backfire on him and it would all be for naught.

He had a habit of attracting bad karma when he went for blood.

Gaara still couldn't get to sleep when a ray of light filtered through the thick glass that made up the high window in his chambers. The sun was finally rising, the warmth from its appearance steadily replacing the brisk, cool morning air, but he was just as angry as he had been the moment his head hit the pillow.

Making up his mind, he climbed out of bed, quickly changed into his normal reddish-brown overalls with long-sleeved crimson coat and grey holster vest: as well as full-length dark trousers. He was never one to worry about how he looked, but Gaara took great pride in his clothes – he was weird that way.

He left his home, leaving the gourd behind – he could summon it at a moment's notice anyway, and these days, only deliberately wore it when heading directly into battle. Once he was finally named Kaze-heika, he'd started infusing his chakra periodically into select parts of the village, like landmines, but without the explosion. It was more of like an alert system. He hadn't told anyone about this, not even his mother, who was the one person he trusted explicitly.

He had no idea why he felt it necessary to keep this a secret, but he did.

His uncle was usually awake at this time of the morning, but when Gaara knocked on the door, he realised the normally alert man was still asleep. He contemplated just turning around and leaving him be, but the next moment, Nakimi had opened the door and was smiling widely at him. Yashamaru's wife was a motherly woman, with a bedside manner that could give the most dedicated medic a run for their money – the downside: it did grate on Gaara after a while, and he could usually only handle her in short bursts.

She was too forward.

"Yashi is still sleeping," Nakimi said, using her pet name for her husband, but stood aside to let Gaara in anyway. "I'll go wake him up."

She closed the door and left him in the small foyer – unlike the rest of the Sabaku family, his mother's brother preferred the simpler things in life. Yashamaru was dedicated to the people, _not_ the politics, and so occasionally clashed with Arō over philosophies and squabbled like children over legislations and the war. But it was always a friendly verbal match, as no harsh words were thrown: he'd seen them spar before, and come back laughing, though in desperate need of healing. Gaara barely understood the need for violence to create bonding experiences. He normally put the other person in the hospital without bothering with letting them get in a hit on him.

Once Gaara had removed his shoes and sat at the kitchen table – it smelled like Nakimi was preparing breakfast anyway – Yashamaru finally made an appearance. He looked at Gaara through sleep deprived eyes and yawned noisily.

"I'm sorry to‒"

"It's okay Gaara," his uncle said, sitting down across the table from him as his wife returned to busying herself with her preparations. "I've been meaning to come see you, so you've saved me the trouble. You've had a very busy few days: what's on your mind?"

Gaara trusted his mother completely and without question, but Yashamaru was the one he went to when he needed help. The man was a fountain of both information and sage advice.

"It's about the leaf Kunoichi," Gaara said, wasting no time in getting to the point.

"Ah, I've heard the rumours," Yashamaru said, smiling. "I never would've thought you'd defend an enemy ninja to the council. So it's true?"

Gaara nodded reluctantly and, if possible, his uncle looked far more amused at the situation than was necessary. His smiled widened and he had a knowing gleam in his eye. The man chuckled slightly.

"Well, I'm proud of you Gaara – it's not easy telling those fools off."

Nakimi made a distinctly unimpressed sound that went ignored by both Shinobi.

Gaara looked down at his hands, wondering how to word this. He needed _someone_ to tell him to back off that wasn't some senile, power mongering fool, and Yashamaru fit that bill. But he should've known better: his uncle would support him for taking on the council. He disliked them thoroughly, as any sane person did.

"You were hoping for a different response?" Yashamaru asked, like he'd read his mind. "Gaara, I can't tell you not to have feelings for someone – other than being a waste of time, it's not my place. The heart wants what the heart wants, and yours – if what I've heard is true – wants _her_. Sakura…" He smiled. "It's a nice name."

Gaara looked up at him, frowning.

"Don't give me that look Gaara – when have I ever supported you when you wanted to pretend you weren't human like the rest of us?"

"Never," he said reluctantly, and his uncle nodded.

"There's no going back now, you've crossed a line."

"Stop encouraging him to defy the council," Nakimi said, annoyed.

The smell of eggs, toast, and fried bacon had lingered on the air for a few seconds before Gaara's mind pulled out of its musings long enough to realise he was hungry. The men fell silent as Nakimi finished cooking the breakfast and served them.

Gaara had long since stopped trying to get her not to go out of her way to feed him when he came around and so just graciously accepted the food, not really registering the curious glances his uncle was still giving him as they all ate in silent respect. He'd forgone the pleasantries and skipped straight to the internal musings over his situation. He had no intention of telling either of them what he'd overheard in the council room – at least not until he'd figured out for himself what he should do.

He stayed for another hour, listening to Nakimi's lecture on his lack of table manners and taking in what Yashamaru had said – when all was said and done, the man was a sappy, hopeless romantic.

… …

… …

Shun and Hitomi Yamada were nice enough – Temari found them pleasant to talk to and interesting to listen to. She certainly wasn't some snob who didn't try to get along with her future in-laws. But that was the problem: she really _did_ like them. They were so excited at the prospect of their idiotic son marrying into the family of the Kazekage that she didn't have the heart to tell them she didn't want this.

She just had to find another way out of this.

'_Coward.'_

She had called herself that and worse for not ending things before her ridiculous family started betting on the outcome. Now she was hiding out in the hospital because the Yamada family was aware that she hated it. They'd never come here looking for her.

At first, Temari wandered through the children's ward in an attempt to cheer herself up – every woman loved kids, right? But it wasn't working. The sight of them in hospital beds was depressing, and she wasn't the motherly type anyway. The thought of one day having her own kids wasn't horrifying, just the idea of having them with Shiro. He was easy on the eyes and polite, but couldn't hold a decent conversation for long. She found him to be shallow, a little bit thick, and the complete opposite of everything she _really_ wanted in a man.

She longed to be challenged – and to be recognised as a woman before the only daughter of the Kazekage.

She had no idea how she'd gotten roped into getting engaged to Shiro Yamada in the first place.

Temari was just about to leave, conceding that there was nothing to do but bite the bullet and go break off the engagement _now_, when she caught sight of a familiar face.

'_Why didn't I think of that?'_

Her mother was almost always at the hospital these days, so of course she'd be on duty today. Karura wasn't a medic, but Yashamaru had taught her a few things and as the Kaze-hime, she was allowed to spend time with the patients, acting something akin to a counsellor with knowledge of anatomy and the workings of healing chakra. It gave her something to do since she'd long stopped a lot of her former hobbies – including flower arranging and teaching future academy students the basics of chakra usage. The latter was still technically something she did, just within the confines of the hospital core.

Karura Sabaku was a beautiful woman – it had been unanimously decided by Gaara's fan girls that she was the source of his good looks – with short, chestnut coloured hair and equally brown eyes. She was fair skinned, and despite the harshness of living in Suna, was in Temari's opinion, closer to a porcelain doll to an experienced Kunoichi. But her looks were deceiving, as the eldest Sabaku sibling had witnessed her mother's skills on a number of occasions – mostly due to assisting in training her and her siblings as children.

She was more formidable than she let on.

Dressed in a simple maroon/brown version of the nurse's uniform, she had her nose in paperwork when Temari knocked on her half open door.

"Come in Temari – not busy?"

"No mother: father won't let me be."

Karura smiled at that. Arō was extremely protective of his family, and since they'd captured a leaf Kunoichi, he didn't want any of them out where some random Konoha ninja might target them in revenge. He was always acting like they were still children, in need of constant care and guidance. It annoyed her as well, but she couldn't help but love him all the more for it.

"You could help with the preparations for the party," she suggested as her eldest closed the door, strode over to her and literally dropped down into the chair across from her ‒ her desk wasn't huge, so there was no more than three feet between them. She wasn't sure, but the look on her face made her think Temari was hiding from someone – she had that cornered and outnumbered look to her.

Temari sighed. "I have no interest in that: I'm not sure if I'll even attend."

"And why not?"

Temari played with her cuticles, not answering.

"Your fiancé?"

Temari sighed again. "Yes. I _really_ don't want to feel obligated to dance with him."

Karura sat back in her chair, taking that in. "You are unhappy with him again."

"I don't want to marry him – I have no idea why I agreed to in the first place."

"The same reason any woman does – the fear of living her life alone."

"I'm not scared of that," Temari lied, frowning. "I'm just… I have no feelings for him, but father was pushing me to say yes because of the political angle with the Yamada family. But now," she sat up straight, now annoyed. "Those complete asses have bet on my love life!"

"Who would that be?" Karura asked, trying to ignore the foul language coming out of her daughter's mouth.

Temari snorted. "Who else: father, Kankuro and Gaara."

Her mother laughed softly. "Well, I hope you win."

"I can't figure out how to get around their bets so that none of those idiots win."

"You could always… no, that won't work."

Temari watched as her mother debated it in her head. "It doesn't matter – I'm doomed either way. I can't go to the party; it's too embarrassing."

"Will you at least come with us to look at some dresses for your father's party?"

Temari nodded solemnly. "Sure, but it stops being a party when the guests are more catered to than the actual birthday boy."

Karura smiled at that. "Your father is a very important man Temari, I'm sure this will all be about him."

"You're far too naïve," the blonde insisted. "The council–"

Her mother frowned at her. "I know they're just a bunch of old codgers looking to extend their own power – why else would they have finally agreed to make Gaara Kaze-heika, since most of them can't stand him."

Temari looked sheepish. "S-sorry."

"I love all of my children, but he is too much like his father – brash, pig headed and too capricious to focus on any one thing for long."

"He focuses on Sakura just fine," Temari mumbled.

Karura laughed softly, pushing aside the medical folder in front of her. "The Konoha Kunoichi? I heard she is attractive."

"Gaara certainly seems to think so."

"And Kankuro?"

Temari chuckled slightly, despite herself. "Yeah, he does too."

"And you?"

"Mother! I don't swing that way!"

"Of course you don't dear, but women are far more comfortable with their sexuality then men tend to be, so it's not a far cry for you to recognise if she's at least pretty."

"Okay, she's friggin gorgeous, sheesh! Happy now?"

Karura bit her bottom lip gently. "Are you sure you don't swing that way?"

This earned a swift kick from her eldest, which she easily evaded, and Temari glowered uncharacteristically at her. "I was just obliging your twisted sense of humour."

"Of course you were."

"You should meet her."

"I will dear."

"Gaara and Kankuro are both infatuated by her, it's weird seeing them like that."

Karura fingered the edge of her desk absently. "You know I don't like it when they squabble."

"This is different."

"Yes, they've never both liked the same girl."

Temari watched her mother as the older woman frowned at the medical folder she'd pushed away, like she wanted to throw it out the window. "Sakura's not just some girl, she's a foreign Kunoichi, and the boys are acting like playground children. Dad finds it funny – will you _please_ talk some sense into him? He won't listen to me."

"He'll see straight through my lie."

"Huh?"

"You were complaining about them being idiots for betting on your love life a moment ago, so why not just sit back and enjoy the show?" Karura smiled deviously. "What happens will happen, right?"

"You wily woman! But I don't want Sakura caught in the middle of their squabbling – she's confused enough about everything as it is."

"So she likes them too?"

"She definitely gets along with Kankuro more," Temari said, "but there are no deep feelings from her on that front."

"How do you know?"

"Sakura's an open book."

"Not exactly a safe character flaw, considering she's also a Kunoichi."

"I know, but my point is that she definitely has feelings for Gaara."

"That's dangerous."

"So you get where I'm coming from?"

Karura frowned at her. "You're bonding with her too, aren't you?"

Before Temari could respond, they both sensed Gaara's chakra nearby. He'd shunshined directly into the hospital and was walking toward the Kaze-hime's office.

"Come in," Karura called out, interrupting his attempt to knock first.

"Mother, Temari," Gaara said in greeting, striding into the room. "I was hoping to speak with you alone, mother‒"

"I'm not good enough for you?" Temari pretended to be hurt.

Gaara glared at her. He had no intention of giving his eldest sibling more fuel to make fun of him – despite her taking to Sakura, she was not above telling him what to do when it came to her. He needed someone to tell him to back off, this was true, but when it came to Temari, his instinct was to do the opposite of what she said.

"It's about Sakura, isn't it?" The infuriating blonde asked.

"I was just talking with Temari about your obsession," Karura said.

"It isn't an obsession," Gaara said defensively.

"No, it's true love," Temari said sarcastically.

"That does have a habit of creeping up on us," their mother said sagely. "I remember when I met your father, the council had already decided we were to marry, and it took me awhile to accept the fact that it was meant to be."

"How is an arranged marriage not dissimilar to Gaara's twisted idea of true love?" Temari asked, ignoring her baby brother's scowl.

"She means she fell in love with father after the arrangement," Gaara said, annoyed.

"Yes," Karura said. "I was so stubborn, which was why I didn't see it at first, so it _did_ creep up on me."

"More like startled the shit out of you," Temari said.

Karura narrowed her eyes at her language, but said nothing.

"The point is," Gaara said, still annoyed. "I'm not obsessed."

"I've never known you to be so defensive when it comes to a girl," his mother said thoughtfully. "Are you sure you're not taking your interest in her too far?"

His irritation broke in half and shattered at her words. Was it possible he was too far into Sakura to see what others were seeing? He knew he had feelings for her, that he wanted to protect her, and if she'd just let him, he would be more than happy to bed her. But love? He wasn't sure he knew what the word meant. Gaara easily admitted he loved his mother, his siblings (probably) and held a respect for his father that could be classed as love as well – not to mention his extended family, which only amounted to Yashamaru, Nakimi, and Mia anyway.

But that was familial, and not the kind both Temari _and_ his mother were saying he held for the pinkette. It was completely different.

So was he really capable of that?

Gaara had never expressed himself well, and he'd long believed that it was due to not feeling anything to begin with. He got irritated and had moments of happiness, but he _showed_ it when that happened. For the most part, he felt like he was just passing through when it came to human interactions – he went out of his way for his family, wanted to be worthy of Suna when he became Kazekage, and found sex to be an extremely pleasing satisfying recreation when the need struck him – but he never sought more than that.

Kankuro took every opportunity, when the topic came up, to tell him he was a "stick in the mud" when it came to meaningful sentiments.

"Sorry Gaara," Karura said, interrupting his thoughts. "I didn't mean to overload you."

"His human half is having trouble assimilating the possibility that he's finally found love," Temari joked. "But seriously Gaara, if you like her, don't agonise over it. I know the council has been very vocal about your interest in her, but they don't know you like we do – they don't see what's really on your face." She hesitated, watching the way his expression shifted to its neutral position at the mention of his obvious feelings. He didn't like that she could see it so clearly on him. "You love her – only an idiot can't see that."

"Just don't neglect your responsibilities," their mother warned. "Your duty is first and foremost to your village, _Kaze-heika_."

Gaara nodded, understanding. Even though he asked for it, he would normally have shunshined away by now, not wanting to be within earshot as his mother and sister talked about feelings and responsibilities, but he needed to hear this. It certainly put things in perspective for him. For now, he would leave Sakura alone – he still had to figure out how to deal with the council's decision that Sakura was to be executed whether she healed the Kazekage or not, but he still had time. They didn't know about the deliberate attempt at poisoning his father, and he wasn't about to tell them that Sakura wasn't sure she could even heal him.

Gaara swallowed thickly, a lump forming in his throat as he contemplated the idea that Arō Sabaku didn't have much time left. He had to tell his father – he had the right to know. He nodded to Temari and Karura just as his mother was glancing over another form, and turned to leave.

Gaara stopped suddenly, his body jerking to a standstill as though an invisible hand had wrapped itself around his body. He let out an involuntary growl, and Karura looked up at him, concerned.

"Gaara, what's wrong?"

He didn't respond at first, his eyes drifting to the window – his third eye seeing straight through the obstruction and out over the sands of Suna. Something felt _off_ suddenly, like the sand in the village was being shifted against its will.

Gaara glanced back at his mother warily. "I'm not sure."

… …

… …

The sun was setting and it wasn't long before its orange gleam disappeared behind the colossus that was Suna – set up against the darkening sky, it was always surprising that people couldn't see it for miles around. When witnessed by someone allied with the great village, it wasn't quite so daunting a thought to figure out how to sneak in. Kakashi Hatake had wrestled with the information supplied to them in his head for days, wondering how a simple spy could possibly know something as pivotal as a secret passageway into Suna, but Orochimaru had clearly stated the man was a recent acquisition – like people were just tools.

The Senkage was off his rocker.

The desert was difficult to navigate, but in this instance, it made a great cover as well. Kakashi's elemental affinity was lightning, but he knew a wind based jutsu that was capable of stirring up the sand they were almost knee deep in. It was how he'd managed to get close to Suna once before, but could only take them so far – that was where Orochimaru's spy came in.

Naruto however, had disagreed with him, wanting to do the honours himself – the knucklehead had to be put in his place, literally.

But first, they needed to make it into a blind spot between the guard towers. Suna wasn't your typical village where sentry duty was concerned – the towers were built into the wall that surrounded Suna instead of protruding from it, allowing for a larger field of view over the desert to spot possible intruders. The blind spot was apparently between the south-eastern and south towers, but only during the shift change.

Kakashi had been worried about his bickering team mates giving away their position, but as they inched closer to their goal, both Naruto and Sasuke had fallen eerily silent. The ANBU and medics remained at the rendezvous point – the more in their group, the higher risk of being spotted – and he ordered them to abandon the mission if they didn't return in twenty-four hours.

They made it to the wall and stopped, waiting for the spy. The man looked plain and nondescript – the perfect person to blend into a new environment. He didn't bother introducing himself as he motioned toward the leaf team, not actually speaking at all. He was all business, using a few hand signs to shift the earth quickly and quietly to give them access to a narrow tunnel beneath them.

He didn't explain that this tunnel hadn't been used in decades – he didn't care to inform them that the only reason he knew of it was because he'd killed the Shinobi whose job it was to guard it and taken his place. They didn't need to know that.

It took an hour to make it through the dank, fetid passageway, and once on the other side, the spy merely handed a small parchment to Kakashi before flickering away.

"What does it say?" Ino asked, her voice a little croaky.

"It's a map," the copy ninja replied. "It supposedly leads directly to where Sakura's being held."

"We'll need disguises," Sasuke added. "We're clearly not from around here."

"Gotcha covered," Naruto said exuberantly. "Be right back."

"Naruto!" Ino said in a hushed whisper, but he'd already disappeared. "He's going to get us caught."

"Trust him," Kakashi said, looking around.

They were in a sort of hovel that extended out as a part of the end of the tunnel: well hidden in the shadows, it didn't however, give them a very good view of their current location. A few minutes later, Naruto returned with four robes clearly of Suna design.

"Where did you get these from?" Ino asked, surprised.

Naruto shrugged. "I knocked out some civilians. Don't worry," he added hastily at the shocked looks on his team mates' faces. "They just think some random thug knocked them out and stole their clothes."

"I'm actually impressed," the blonde Kunoichi said. "You thought that through."

Naruto pulled a face at her as he handed the robes out to them. "I hope yours has fleas."

Sasuke chuckled. "Shall we?"

The darkness provided ample cover and they moved easily between the buildings; the naturally high temperatures of Suna they'd heard about didn't seem to extend to the darker hours.

Kakashi led the way, having covered his mismatched eyes with cloth over the menpo. It didn't look very good, but at least it hid the Sharingan, and he could easily bring it out if necessary – he hoped to avoid fighting, as they were not only in enemy territory, but as good as dead if anyone spotted them. He decided on the long way around to get to Sakura's position, since the direct route would take them closer to the Kazekage's mansion, not to mention leave them out in the open.

It was looking easier and easier, and that was troubling him.

Kakashi stopped suddenly, the prison building directly in front of him, and spun around.

"What is it?" Naruto whispered hoarsely.

"We have company," Sasuke answered for him, and Ino's hand went straight for his arm.

"Move," she snapped at the Uchiha and he jumped out of the way of… was that sand?

"Oh no…" Kakashi shifted slightly, realising they'd caught someone's attention after all – and the worst kind.

The area they were standing in was seemingly unguarded, and enclosed, so the chances of someone happening upon them was less than remote.

'_He truly deserves his nicknames,'_ Kakashi thought to himself.

But he couldn't see Gaara anywhere – there was only sand, and it was suddenly _everywhere_.

Kakashi watched it with an almost detached expression, despite his growing dread.

Sasuke growled, his Sharingan now gleaming. "What the hell is this?"

Sand shifted behind him and he spun around to face a man with crimson hair – he was as expressionless as the copy ninja. Gaara felt less calm than he looked as he stated evenly, "my kekkei genkai."

… …

… …

Ino was the first to jump out of the way, followed by Kakashi, then Sasuke and finally Naruto. As the only girl in the group now, she was situated behind the copy ninja as he shielded her unnecessarily – she'd heard he was annoying this way.

She moved closer to Sasuke, and then darted between him and Kakashi to duck a stream of sand as the Kaze-heika threw the spurts at them, shaping the grains into ribbons as they cut through the air. She gasped as the ground beneath her shifted, and jumped out of the way again, narrowly avoiding being sucked into the earth like she'd just stepped into quicksand.

They were already losing, and to a single Shinobi. Ino was offended by this – what was Kami high on when this overpowered Shinobi was being born? _Nobody_ was this powerful when barely out of their teens.

While Ino was trying to figure him out, Sasuke's attention was on the fact that the ruckus still hadn't drawn any new attention: Naruto was busy getting in under the sand, as the only one who'd succeeded in knocking back any of the sand. The copy ninja however, was using his Sharingan to watch the movement from a higher angle, his mind reeling.

Gaara pulled his sand back; drawing it in like one might the tide, he forced it to implode, therefore forcing Naruto to move again. The shavings that were once ribbons of sand sliced through the air instead of him. He admitted inwardly that this team – notably the blonde ‒ was very good. They'd done the smart thing and gone on the defensive, not pushing all their attacks forward at once. He had no doubt that if he continued to fight at this level, they would only increase the number of their attacks and possibly push him back… maybe.

They were at a standstill now, and he indulged them as the copy ninja addressed him.

"How did you know?" Kakashi asked, still surprised that the demon of the sand had found them so quickly.

"You don't belong here," he said. "I can't smell Suna on you."

Sasuke scoffed and Ino shivered. "Creepy," she said.

He glared at her. The sand reformed, and he ignored the shocked look of the leaf ninja, sending it toward them once more. They had come here to take Sakura, that much was certain, and while his mind wondered "how", his main concern was getting rid of them, and before their counter attacks started really bothering him. The blonde Shinobi was the faster after the copy ninja, coming at his sand with a speed he hadn't seen before, even in the Kazekage, and Gaara had to counter more quickly, pushing his chakra into the sand beneath him to bring it out of the ground and form a protective wall in front of him.

Mixing up the earth again, he quickly gathered enough sand to create a tsunami, but had to be careful about the surrounding buildings as he let it loose. Every grain spurred on by his anger, the Kaze-heika didn't hold back. Gaara swept his sand toward them, fully intending on burying the leaf ninja. He wanted them gone and _dead_ was the quickest and easiest way to accomplish that. He didn't care anymore that these people were probably close to Sakura; he didn't stop for a moment to consider the fact that she would never forgive him for this. He only knew he wanted them _gone_.

"Gaara…"

His mother's voice rang through his head, drawing the attention of the Konoha ninja as she rushed toward him, touching her youngest son on the shoulder (Temari was hot on her heels). She wouldn't condone this – he could already feel his control over his sand waning. The instant he thought this (the moment she placed a soothing hand on his shoulder), his sand seemed to just die. It fell away from him, crumbling like a heavy weight had pressed into his system. Gaara shuddered and his eyes fell to the ground, suddenly ashamed of himself.

No-one else could make him feel ashamed for protecting his own.

"Go," Temari said softly to the leaf ninja. "Don't come back."

They took the hint. The man she recognised from the bingo book as the copy ninja hesitated a little longer, his single eye flickering over the now still form of Gaara before he too retreated. She inhaled deeply, letting it out in ragged breaths as her mother embraced Gaara.

"It's okay," Karura said. "It was the right thing to do."

Somehow, Temari doubted the council would agree with her. But _she_ had told them to leave, letting enemy ninja leave without considering that they had a way into Suna. Gaara's ability to detect people in Suna (which also extended to the desert) continued to amaze her.

Gaara struggled to reaffirm his anger, wanting to lash out at _something_. How dare they sneak in here and try to steal her? He ignored the selfish hypocrisy of his thoughts and shunshined away from his mother and sister, vaguely registering Kankuro's voice in the distance (the puppet master was late to this party). If he couldn't take his anger out on anyone, he would stay away from them until it went away.

But his thoughts betrayed him, and forgetting to focus on where he was going to stop himself from appearing in front of anyone he might possibly hurt, Gaara flickered into Sakura's room. She was resting on her bed and looking peaceful… he was suddenly wary of this. The women in his life were slowly taking over his every action, every thought: he didn't know how to stop it. He didn't want to disturb her, but had the urge to grab her, throw her against the wall, and demand answers. How was she invoking these emotions from him? Why did he feel like a part of him might die if those leaf ninja had managed to take her away from him?

Temari's words, his mother's assurances… it all pointed to one thing: love.

But he didn't want it: he wanted her, but not the attachment that came with the way she was making him feel. Why couldn't he keep himself straight about her?

Sakura stirred and he felt the sand on her wrist shift. He wasn't always the cause of that – it also reacted to her, from her heartbeat to raging emotions. She sat up sleepily and then gasped, realising she wasn't alone.

Gaara was staring at her with a mixture of barely contained fear and lust: but she saw the sadness on his face and felt her heart skip a beat at the realisation that he had been watching her sleep.

Growling darkly, Gaara spun on his heels without saying so much as a word, and Sakura watched him leave, worried he was losing what sanity he had left.

…

X X X

…

**A/N: Jeez that was exhausting lol. ;P It was only 1000-2000 words this morning.  
>Anyway, as for Gaara's kekkei genkai statement, the fourth's Gold Dust was a kekkei genkai (canon), and I've read older fics where Gaara's sand was one too – mostly about it being a result of Shukaku, but whatever. It's a kekkei genkai here. Kind of explains a lot, don't cha think? ;P<strong>

**Lotsa love! n_n **

**R&R.**

A quick poll:

Where would you rather live, Konoha or Suna? And why?


	9. Letting Go

**A/N: Yay! The 100 review mark has been breached. n_n Gods, didn't expect that this soon when I first posted. Love, love you guys! *blows kisses* ;) I love cookies, so special, chocolate cookies for**** everyone lol. XD  
>Anyway, thanks to<strong> hyuugahinata247, miikodesu, DramaQueen, IridescentInTheDark, Anonymous, LilithiaRW, my-threesome, XBloodMageRikaX, StarKiss666, unendingness, PLacIDwiCkedNEss, PeachyPomme, kimakolovestar, Refrigerator-Burn, SapphireRivulet, **and** cherryvampires **for reviewing chapter 7, and **ZapZapYotsuba** for chapter 1.  
>I love this chapter, I really DO. You'll find out why soon. <strong>**E****njoy! ^_^**

…

– Chapter 8 –  
>.:. Letting Go :.<p>

…

She watched the final group return with the last of the refugees. Their faces were grim, caked with dirt and heads hung so low in defeat that it tugged at her. She tried not to look, but couldn't help herself. Disappearing into the crowds on street level didn't help – the Hokage could still see them. She could still sense the chakra of their Shinobi escorts, she could still _feel_ the morose atmosphere around the village. Despite the fervour of some of the more naturally exuberant Shinobi (namely Gai and his student), she hadn't seen Konoha is such low spirits for a long time.

War did that to people.

It was why she'd ordered a mandatory downtime, starting with the more overworked ninja and over the next two weeks, she hoped the period of relaxation would help to unclog some of those pesky "un-youthful congestions" as Maito Gai liked to call them.

Tsunade smiled slightly at that, leaning heavily against the frame of her office window. She was tired of war, and all the underhanded politics that came with it. She wanted peace – Konoha _needed_ it. The armistice had failed, and all because Iwa wouldn't agree to any terms Oto did; Kumo refused to listen to the leaf and Kiri had been noncommittal about the whole thing to begin with. Suna was, well, they were as difficult to read as usual – but possibly the only one there other than Konoha, looking for an excuse for peace (ironic). The Hokage's advisors kept insisting that the only way to save Konoha was with brute force.

Oto's enemies were many and vast; they had encroached on Konoha territory with the same vigour they'd previously shown for Otogakure. The village hidden in the leaves had done nothing to incite such hatred, short of simply allying with the hidden sound.

And then there was Sakura. One week had passed since the return of the group she'd sent to retrieve her and things had only gotten worse in the pinkette's absence. The Hokage fingered a small pendant she kept in her pocket – it was without a chain and tarnished. She wanted Sakura to have it, as it was a family heirloom and the pinkette was the closest family she had left now (except for Naruto, but the knucklehead wasn't getting _this_ one). She'd practically raised him, but was closer to Sakura.

Tsunade moved away from the window as a masked operative approached. She knew who he was of course, as even when he suppressed it, his chakra was familiar to her – more than most ANBU. He had a colourful past for someone so young. The ANBU appeared in front of her desk and she sat down behind it as he bowed respectfully.

"Take the mask off," she said. "I have another mission for you."

Sai did as he was instructed and tried to smile for her – he was really bad at it. "Hokage-sama?"

"First of all," she said, her eyes drifting outside the building. "Check in on Naruto – he's been moping all week."

"Because of Sakura?"

"Yes."

Sai frowned: _this_ facial expression was one he was more adept with. He didn't call Sakura by her name often, preferring his nickname for her instead, but he'd read that respect in the wake of a personal loss was what was expected of him. He'd been on a recovery mission for the last month and a half, extracting refugees from devastated areas and relocating them to "wherever". This last batch was the first time he'd escorted a group directly into Konoha, so he hadn't been back in what felt like forever. Naruto was pissed with him (he knew he would be), for not attending his wedding, despite the "orders".

Sai had often wondered – and never come to any conclusion – how someone that ignorant could become so well known for his skills. He wasn't his father, he wasn't even close, but the knucklehead had made a name for himself anyway.

Sai smiled inwardly, deciding he would test his former team mate the first opportunity he got.

They may have butted heads when he replaced Sasuke after the Uchiha left the team to take on a long term mission in Otogakure, but they'd at least developed a tolerance of each other that, in one context, could be mistaken for mutual respect.

"He's determined to go storming back into Suna to rescue Sakura," Tsunade was saying, breaking Sai out of his thoughts. "With no thought to the repercussions of course."

"He is stupid," Sai sighed.

The Hokage's face twitched. "Yes…"

"I heard about that mission," he said. "I'm not surprised they failed."

"Really?"

"Considering who they were up against."

Tsunade frowned. "You don't seriously think Gaara of the Sand is stronger than a group of elite Shinobi?"

Sai nodded slowly. "I'm sure they gave him a run for his money. But I've seen what that man can do."

"He's just one person," Tsunade said haughtily, though she knew he was right.

"Of course, Hokage-sama."

She sighed. "I have no idea what to do."

"Then that's it?" He asked, uncertain if his Hokage's demeanour meant she was just sad or that she'd given up.

"What else am I supposed to do?" She asked, growling at the ANBU (Root had been disbanded years ago). "I've exhausted every possible action and they all end in failure. Suna is impenetrable and I can't even be sure she's still alive. How am I supposed to get her back now?"

Sai gave her a smile, trying and failing to show emotion through it. "Politics Hokage-sama."

… …

… …

There were occasions in Sakura Haruno's life she'd always been able to avoid – dressing up and heading to night clubs, putting on those ridiculous kimonos that her shishou insisted were more fitting for her when she attended official functions, and braiding her hair – she _hated_ twisting her pink locks, no matter their length. It was completely unfair to expect her to dress up for occasions she cared little to nothing about.

And then there was Gaara: ever since he'd mysteriously appeared in her room, only to growl and leave stroppily, Sakura hadn't expected him to explain himself, knowing what kind of man he was. But for him to pretend he hadn't come onto her and suddenly start acting like she was a servant and not his prisoner… she had never been angrier at someone, _ever_.

Another guard (and sometimes either Kankuro or Temari) had taken over the responsibility of escorting her to the new lab they'd set up, in a small building attached to the hospital. She was making headway in Arō's cure, which she supposed was a direct result of Gaara avoiding her. He was no longer distracting her, but she wished he would. The sand around her wrist was an ever present reminder of his control over her, but as the days passed, without a hint of his presence, she grew more and more depressed. She missed him – she wasn't going to deny that. Somehow, even when Kankuro or Temari came in to keep her company, it just wasn't the same. She'd take a snide comment or snarl from the red head over polite conversation with his siblings any day.

And a part of herself was still angry about _that_.

And then days became weeks – a month after Gaara's mysterious visit, she felt the knot in her stomach clench and she was ashamed to remember that she'd cried herself to sleep, which only served to anger her further. He was avoiding her, but all she wanted was a sign, a simple _hint_ that he hadn't simply forgotten she existed. It was the next morning, when Kankuro had visited her and noticed how upset she was that Sakura swore to herself she would stop feeling sorry for herself. Kankuro had told her things… crazy things, that made her even angrier at the red head, but she resolved to keep it bottled up.

Gaara couldn't avoid her forever, and when she saw him again, he was going to regret keeping secrets from her.

And that was when she found it: the solution she was looking for. She had an antidote for the poison coursing through Arō's system, but there was a problem. However he had been dosed in the first place, it was still happening. Every other day, she'd find more of it, and it was impossible for his system to produce the amounts of toxin she was discovering. Whoever had poisoned him was smart – even with her solution, the fourth Kazekage didn't have very long to live.

Sakura relayed this to Gaara through Kankuro, having decided that if the red head was going to avoid her, then someone else needed to know that this was a deliberate attempt at assassination. She didn't see either Kankuro or Temari again for another week and a half. But when the blonde finally returned to her room, it was with weary smiles, and she thanked her for defying Gaara and telling them. Arō didn't know – this the siblings had at least decided on – but it wouldn't last. They told her that Gaara was preparing himself for that eventuality. Temari and Kankuro had carefully probed everyone they knew had the ability to do this, coming up empty, and with the theory that the original creator of this poison may not actually have been from Suna.

Sakura sighed, looking down at her handmaid, who was fiddling with the hem of the dress she was wearing. She was reminded once again, of the upcoming festivities and started to squirm, rocking the small stood she was standing on.

"I need to concentrate miss," the blonde girl said, and Sakura promptly stopped squirming, but didn't apologise.

Two months on from the last time Gaara had uttered a single word to her, she was about to be thrust straight into his waiting arms. He was her escort to the birthday celebrations for Arō, which were only four hours away. Extreme nervousness had replaced anger and she wasn't sure what she was going to do, let alone say, once he finally turned up. She fiddled with the sand around her wrist as it contracted. It reacted when she touched it, like it had a mind of its own, or at least instincts, and she liked stroking it sometimes. Nothing she did to it brought about the wrath of a certain red head, so she figured it was fine to do whatever she wanted to it. It wasn't like she could tear it away anyway.

Sometimes she wondered if it was using _her_ chakra to remain stable, debating the physics behind mere sand moving on its own – this of course led to thoughts that perhaps Gaara could _see_ her through it… and the conspiracies in her head were doing nothing to ease her nervousness.

Sakura frowned at the handmaid again. "You never talk to me," she said, and the girl looked up at her. "Do you hate me too?"

Gods, she was desperate for conversation.

'_I've gone mad.'_

The handmaid just shrugged her shoulders. "Lord Gaara told me to see to your needs, and I have done that – politics and holding grudges are of no concern to me."

This girl was perceptive, and didn't need further explanation to understand what she'd really meant.

"You're not the least bit surprised about what's going on?" The pinkette asked. The rumours had continued, regardless of Gaara's avoidance issues – it's not like many people _knew_ he hadn't come to see her for two months, so of course they'd still be assuming he was.

"Of course I am," the girl said. "But it's not my place to ask."

The girl's eyes flitted over Sakura for a moment before she returned to the hem of her dress. She was definitely contemplating asking her – she could tell. From every side glance to the not so subtle soft sighs whenever Sakura would call Gaara by his name rather than title, this young woman was _busting_ to ask if the rumours were true. She'd had to have heard Sakura call Gaara "grumpy idiot" the last time Kankuro was here at least.

Her name was Reika, that's all Sakura knew – the name meant 'lovely flower', and true to her name, Reika often wore a flower on her simple uniform.

"You can talk in front of me," Sakura said, as Reika hummed softly. "I won't repeat anything you say, or ask."

"Hm, I'm almost done; hold still."

Once Reika had put the finishing touches on her dress, she insisted Sakura check herself out and gently shoved her in front of a mirror. The pinkette held a hand to her abdomen, the tears coming slowly. She had no idea why she was so upset – perhaps the thought that the last time she'd worn something this beautiful, she'd done so at a wedding.

"Are you okay?" Reika asked, smoothing out her own, slightly wrinkled uniform nervously.

Sakura nodded. "I‒I just want to go home Reika."

The girl smiled sadly. "My mother came from the land of birds and she speaks of it often."

"Was she dragged to Suna against her will?"

"Sort of: it was an arranged marriage."

Sakura turned to face her. "I thought you weren't a noble." Only high society families were known for arranged marriages – at least as far as _she_ knew.

Reika stared at her own reflection. "It ended badly."

Sakura didn't pry, since the information seemed to be distressing for her. "I love the dress, but I shouldn't keep it on for the next four hours – I still need to bathe anyway."

"Of course," Reika bowed. "I'll leave you be."

"Do you have anywhere you need to be?"

"No."

"Then wait, please." Sakura moved toward the partition she always dressed behind when Reika was here.

The servant girl nodded her acquiescence and Sakura emerged a minute later, dressed instead in a simple tunic and pants she would be removing soon in order to bathe. She just wanted to talk to _someone_ for a while, since both Kankuro and Temari had told her they'd next see her at the festivities. Her nerves at Gaara's imminent arrival needed settling. So they talked, and Sakura found out that Reika's mother once told her that the people of Bird Country believed that good fortune came to a person who embraced the meaning of their name.

But Reika was a lowly servant ‒ enough said.

Too soon it was time to bathe, dress and sit at the chair to her dressing-table; it was a semi-new addition, and Sakura gripped the edge of it desperately as Reika did her hair and applied make-up to her face. She was uncomfortable with the idea of suddenly looking like a porcelain doll, so the blonde only highlighted what she called Sakura's "natural chic" and once she was done, it was barely noticeable (if at all). She thanked her, and was just slipping into the strange high heeled sandals that Suna nobles apparently wore to these occasions, when a knock came at the door.

Sakura's heart started to race, even more so when she recognised the chakra signature. He'd never knocked before – that she could remember, since it'd been two months. Reika looked to Sakura for reassurance before opening the door, and letting the Kaze-heika into the room. Sakura met his eyes, all the angry retorts in her head that she'd saved just for him, now frozen. He wore a simple suit, something akin to the Kazekage's dress suit, except black and maroon. If possible, he was more handsome than she remembered.

She had to focus on her breathing to keep from hyperventilating – it was amazing what two months away from him did to her. He continued to stare at her as he addressed her handmaid.

"_Out_," Gaara growled, and Reika bowed swiftly before exiting with what little dignity her hurried feet could give her.

Sakura gave Gaara a foul glare, which he pointedly ignored. "That was rude."

He ignored her comment, his eyes trailing along the simple ball gown Temari had picked out for her. That woman had taste; there were no ridiculous ruffles or overdone ribbons, just a sleek, crimson evening gown, made of satin – the seams and hem plaited with lace. It was diffident, but fanciful, giving him a generous view of her cleavage while keeping to etiquette. The straps looked ready to slip off her shoulders, but as she shifted nervously under his stare, they didn't even budge.

Forget kimonos and forget semi-transparent negligees – she filled out this dress nicely (even with her petite figure), and he wouldn't have it any other way.

He was close to her now, having inched into the room instinctively – she stood frozen on the spot, unsure what was going on in that head of his. Gaara reached out, ghosting her face with the palm of his hand, and moving southward, hesitating over her breasts. Her breath hitched and he felt the corresponding clenching of his sand as his own breathing deepened. He wanted to touch her, to throw her against that wall – didn't she _realise_ what she was doing to him? Licking his dry lips, Gaara exerted every ounce of self-control he had and pulled back. The slightly distressed look on his face softened her features.

"Why have you been avoiding me Gaara?" She asked.

He shook his head. "Later."

"After the festivities?"

He nodded, his eyes drifting back to hers again. Those bright emerald eyes had him hypnotized, and he realised a moment later that she was speaking again.

"…why I should go to this thing. Are you even listening to me?"

Gaara forced himself to calm down, focusing on his breathing – meditation always soothed him, but he had never _tried_ meditating in front of the object of his unease before. The sand once again alerted him to her accelerated heart rate as he let his eyes linger on her dress again. She really _did_ look beautiful – and more fitting than any supposedly noble woman.

"No," he said abruptly, answering her question. He ignored the disappointed look on her face and held out his arm; obliged to accept the waiting arm of her self-appointed chaperon, Sakura reluctantly obeyed his silent command.

… …

… …

The festivities were well under way, and it had taken every bit of self-control he possessed for Gaara not to throttle each and every member of the Sunagakure council. Sure, it would make him feel better, but he wouldn't get away with killing them and who would protect Sakura then?

He just had to figure out a way of getting everything he wanted. He always did.

Gaara wanted his father healed, he wanted Sakura… he _needed_ her safe. He had just another reason to fear the moment she healed Arō, but nothing would stop him. This would just stall him. He hadn't been lying to the council every time he said he had time, as Arō hadn't been incapacitated past help, but now his father was weakening with the passage of every day, the poison finally doing its job, despite Sakura's best efforts. He was fading away and time was now of the essence.

He looked good tonight though – he'd seen him only half an hour before, and the Kazekage was about to make a late entrance to his own party. It was unavoidable as he needed longer than necessary to get ready and steady himself. This night was going to test every ounce of his strength.

Karura Sabaku entered the room and everyone, even the Iwa dignitaries, stood in respect at her arrival on the arm of the Kazekage. Gaara smiled slightly at the sight, and felt Sakura tense slightly beside him. She hadn't met his mother or uncle Yashamaru and his wife Nakimi. Mia followed her parents in, a smile on her face as she noticed Sakura. At least that was another person Gaara knew didn't mind that the pinkette was here.

Mia had gone on about Sakura's amazing strength and formidability in battle, which was from the perspective of someone who had gotten pummelled by the pinkette. But that didn't dissuade Mia; she was deeply in awe of Sakura and had no problem admitting the younger girl was stronger. Of course, if it had been some guy, a Shinobi medic, Mia would be putting up a stink about their mere presence in Sunagakure.

Gaara wondered sometimes if the girl should just give up on men altogether with the way she bitched about them.

But, she'd also been talking about that Hyuuga as well…

Gaara refocused his attention as Sakura was introduced to the rest of his family. Karura seemed intrigued by her, Yashamaru and Nakimi seemingly nonchalant about the whole thing. They didn't seem to care either way if she was here. But Nakimi spared a small smile for Gaara, and he nodded silently in return as she followed her husband to their seats on the other side of the Kazekage. The great hall was arranged so that all tables lined the wall, leaving the centre of the room for dancing when the time came, while the Sabaku family were seated at a long table on a long dais that had been especially reconstructed for just this event. They faced the dance floor, their backs against the head of the room.

The Kazekage sat dead centre, with his wife on his right, her family on her other side, and Gaara, Kankuro and Temari on his left. Sakura's social standing on this occasion was beneath even the servants, but Gaara didn't want her unseen, especially looking the way she did tonight. Without being asked to, Kankuro had shuffled to the side, nudging Temari rudely, to accommodate her; the pinkette reluctantly squeezed between him and Gaara.

Sakura had voiced her concerns to Gaara that she didn't want people staring at her, for whatever reason, let alone by hundreds of people who may or not have had anything to do with Arō's poisoning, but he wouldn't listen. This was how she'd decided he was using her as bait. But she hadn't worked up the courage to accuse him of this, yet. And, this wasn't really the time or place for _that_ argument. She would wrangle more than just his promised confessions out of him after this charade of a _party_.

Toasts were made, no references to Sakura's presence other than heated glares, and dinner was eventually served. The traditional Suna menu made her frown and Kankuro took over the responsibility of making sure she didn't eat anything that was only fit for stomachs used to wind country _delicacies_. A strange sea prune and what looked (but didn't taste) like goat's milk with a shot of some alcohol she didn't recognise later, and people had started to make their way to the dance floor.

Sunagakure music was less cheery than Sakura was used to, but she found herself mesmerised by the slow, harmonic melodies – one after another, and unendingly depressing. She was strangely comforted by them, perhaps due to her homesickness and Sakura felt nostalgic as she watched some subaltern approach a young woman – the two flirted for a moment before dancing, reminding her of the exact same way Naruto had approached Hinata the night they'd gotten engaged.

The woman even seemed to have a natural shyness about her.

"Sakura," Gaara said from her right. "Are you alright?"

She was surprised at him – for the past hour, he'd been ignoring her again, deep in conversation with his father and not even responding when she'd giggled at a few of Kankuro's jokes. Temari cleared her throat, stood up and walked over to a group of waiting Kunoichi who she seemed happy to see. She had been reluctant to participate in this party apparently, but after the revelation about what was really going on with her father, she'd changed her mind.

This night was about family for her, and she wanted to be a part of whatever Gaara was planning to lure out the culprit.

Sakura turned to face Gaara as Kankuro faked a cough. "Let's dance."

He looked surprised, if only for a second. "Are you sure?"

"It'll get this over and done with faster so I can get out of here," she said, and he caught the double meaning in her words.

Gaara stood and offered his hand to her. Sakura ignored the stares as they made their way onto the floor – the guests parted at their approach, but didn't stop dancing. His hand went to her waist, her fingers gripped the front of his dress suit, and suddenly the fastenings on his dinner jacket were _very_ interesting to her.

"Sakura," he whispered, as they started to move. "Look at me."

Licking her lips, she did as she was told, gluing her attention to those pale, green eyes of his. The music faded into the background, and everyone else could've sidled off into another room for all the attention they paid. Sakura wanted him to kiss her, but knew he wouldn't – those eyes were calculating, but his face remained impassive.

Eventually, Sakura and Gaara were brought back to reality as the music seemed to come to a screeching halt; the percussion had ceased, but several musicians were still playing their instruments in the vain hope that this was only temporary. The crowd around the Kaze-heika and his "captive" parted even further and an angry looking man was striding through, looking flustered, like he'd just been arguing with someone.

What had they missed?

A woman and her daughter – who Sakura recognised immediately – were hot on the Iwa man's heels as he approached Gaara.

The man attempted to rip Sakura away forcefully, and she didn't get the chance to react before he was pushed back. Sand was creeping through the now broken tiles beneath their feet and a hush had fallen over the hall – this time, the music really _had_ completely died down. Everyone was staring at Gaara as he knocked the Iwa dignitary away roughly, forcing the man onto the floor. Sakura felt self-conscious as a number of those glares were now resting on her.

But the man on the floor wasn't finished. With what dignity he had left, he rose to his feet.

"She's filth," he stated scathingly, his eyes never leaving the Kaze-heika's. "You had no right bringing her here, parading this obscenity around in front of us."

The obnoxious woman next to him was glaring at Sakura fiercely, but the pinkette stared back, undaunted as she realised Gaara was suddenly calm and collected. She had no intention of backing down from that evil glare, but Sakura grudgingly kept the full force of her menace toward the girl next to her – the daughter was the one who had attacked her in the cell two months ago. Said girl was looking anywhere but Sakura, her eyes dancing over the tops of the heads of the Sabaku family before moving swiftly to the exit, where they refused to budge from.

As the argument was broken a part by Arō's approach, Gaara was musing on their reactions – and somehow, he was beginning to doubt that Iwa had anything to do with the attempt on his father's life.

… …

… …

Emotionally exhausted from the ensuing arguments, Sakura was all too happy to return to her room.

Gaara followed her inside the room and she sighed deeply. He'd promised her answers, despite his reluctance, and as the evening had steadily worn on, Sakura had gotten more, and more aggro – the way she'd dug into his arm, he'd have been scarred if it wasn't for his sand. The Iwagakure dignitaries seemed to have pushed a button in her that he wasn't as of yet aware existed.

Having ignored her for the past two months, he had resigned himself to the inevitable anger from her but it had yet to come. She had every reason to be angry, but she hadn't dug those claws of hers into him to stop herself from killing _him_.

The fault lied in politics – both sides believed they and they alone were right and anyone not on their wavelength was by default, the opposition… or enemy. Iwa had a bad history with Oto, and as natural allies to sound, the village hidden in the leaves had, in a way, inherited that animosity. Konoha merely being associated with Oto was their excuse for tonight's debacle. It was all the reason they believed they needed.

The sand around her wrist had been restless all throughout the festivities – always shifting, never pausing – even before the dignitaries had taken their swipe at her. It was reacting to her moods now, which he was not surprised at; Sakura's moods were shifty and malleable – more so than anyone he'd ever met. Her temperament was reflected in her shackles.

Gaara glanced around the room, making sure the handmaid he'd assigned her was nowhere in the vicinity – her chakra, though untrained, was as clear as day to him. She had been absent for hours.

Sakura was standing in the centre of the room, inhaling deeply as she attempted to calm herself. She wasn't doing so well, considering it wasn't just the stupid Iwa idiots who'd pushed her buttons – but despite her diplomatic shortcomings, she'd never truly been annoyed by politicians before. Her anger at them was irrelevant. There would be more to take their place tomorrow.

For two months, she'd been angry at Gaara, and it was his fault… and Kankuro's. The middle child of the Sabaku was apparently, very good at keeping secrets, and she'd realised that his carelessness when it came to her was because he fancied her. She wasn't stupid. And so she'd taken advantage of that, worming information out of him. If she ever felt guilty, it was quickly staunched when she remembered her predicament.

Despite her desire to have it out with Gaara and his evasiveness, Sakura felt the sudden _need_ building inside of her to be left alone. She tried to ignore him, but he wouldn't let her.

"You're not upset with the dignitaries," he said. "You're mad about something else."

"Oh really? You spotted it all on your own did you? What gave it away, was it your sand around my wrists or the fact that I'm here against my will?"

He kept his face impassive. "You turned twenty-one yesterday."

Sakura spun around to stare into that emotionless mask he called a face. "How did you know that?"

"I've read your file."

"My… _file_?"

He nodded and she frowned. So more people knew about her birthday?

Sakura shook her head. "And so you think you know why I'm upset?"

"You didn't get to celebrate," he said calmly. "I know what that's like."

"How's that exactly?"

"I have had many birthdays where I was too busy to celebrate it."

"Like when?"

Frustration crept onto his face slowly. "I have been the Kaze-heika for years now, and the early studies were intense."

'_Early studies?'_

The irritation barely visible on his face was contagious. Sakura growled. "I don't believe you."

"I don't care what you believe."

She couldn't believe the _arrogance_ of the man! Did he ever care about anyone other than himself and his wants and needs? She just shook her head at him, appalled by his tone and turned away from him, hoping her anger would just diminish. She didn't need this right now. This night had gone badly enough as it was.

"Leave this room," she snapped wearily. "I'm too tired to fight with you right now."

Sakura was surprised when she heard the door close – she'd expected him to snap at her for telling him what to do and leave on his own terms. But the next minute she _felt_ him come up behind her, his body heat spreading across her back as his held her. To her surprise, she didn't move instinctively away from him. She felt herself torn. He was the enemy, she _hated_ him for imprisoning her, for ignoring her; yet he drained every ounce of resistance she had just by being near her. She'd researched Stockholm syndrome during her medical training and knew that it took months of conditioning to cause such a drastic shift in a person's psyche.

The prisoner would become completely reliant on their captor and begin to see them as the only person who could ever love them.

'_Do I feel that way about Gaara?'_

Sure, she'd been here awhile now, two months in fact, but she hadn't been subjected to any kind of "conditioning", right? She hadn't even seen him for most of that time, but had missed him so badly – it went beyond anything she'd ever felt before. While she tossed that over in her head, Gaara's right hand went to the strap of her dress, his fingers now brushing bare skin as he trailed the outline of her arm.

'_What is he doing?'_

She got her answer a moment later when he kissed her neck, raining down small chaste touches with his lips; his left arm held her stomach, pulling her body flush against his. She _let_ him! She closed her eyes and gave into the pleasant sensation, the longing as he touched her. He seemed to sense her compliance, and moved his right hand to her throat; his fingers ghosted her skin as though barely daring to touch her and she inhaled sharply.

Gaara shifted his body behind her, moving his right leg so that his knee parted her feet and his right hand moved again, this time sliding down her front. His fingers moved down the soft material of her dress and latched onto the base of the simple gown. She held onto his left arm, unable to bring herself to push him away.

Sakura jerked backwards against him as he lifted the hem of her dress and slid a hand under the material, his fingers dancing over her clothed entrance. She moaned.

"Gaara…"

The sound of her voice spurred him on and he slid his finger under her knickers, feeling his way to her folds as he bit into her neck. She yelped sharply, but didn't push at him and he closed his eyes as he fingered her. The feel of her was silky smooth and he cupped her with the palm of his hand, teasing her as his fingers thrusted faster into her trembling body, his thoughts on her involuntary sounds as much as he dwelled on the aching pulling on his heart. Gaara could feel himself hardening with every erotic move of her curves against his groin.

'_I just want you,'_ he thought desperately. _'If only for just one night, before they come for you and before I'll never see you again.'_

He couldn't stand the thought of not having been with her, at least once, if the council got their way and executed her. Gaara had never felt more desperately torn in his entire life. She threw her head back, resting it on his shoulder as she leant more desperately into him. It wasn't long before he brought her to her climax and he held her tightly, keeping her from falling as her legs threatened to buckled underneath her.

Sakura eventually pulled away, walking toward the dressing-table to find something to lean against that wasn't making her want to continue Gaara's little "excursion". He didn't move as she shakily sat down.

"Why have you been ignoring me?" She asked.

"I love you."

Sakura spun around and gaped at him. He what…?

He wasn't looking at her – those pale eyes rested on the mirror reflecting the back of her dress and almost naked back (he _really_ loved that dress on her).

"I'm an idiot," he continued. "I didn't want to accept it – I still don't – but I can't keep…"

He trailed off, now glaring at the floor. Sakura inhaled sharply, absentmindedly rubbing the sand on her wrist, before standing up and walking back over to him. "Do you regret bringing me here?"

Gaara looked up at her. "No."

She smiled. "Then I love you too, Gaara."

And he was grabbing her roughly again – what was with all the violence in this village – and pushing her against the wall. She leant her head back, easing into his hold, giving him permission to pick up where he left off. He nuzzled her neck and she gripped him tighter. What were they doing? This was crazy insane! But they couldn't stop themselves. Gaara caressed Sakura, his hands fondling her breasts, his groin pressed up against hers. He wanted so bad to tear that dress from her body, to slide inside and feel her clench around him. It was driving him up the wall. And if he slept with her, he didn't have to tell the council. She could be his dirty little secret. But Sakura was better than that, she was _more_, and she would want more. This Kunoichi from the village hidden in the leaves was not the kind of woman to want to fuck and forget, surely.

He _wanted_ this to be real. The redhead lowered one hand to Sakura's waist, while the other continued to rub her clothed nipple. His lips moved from her neck slowly and he let out a husky moan.

"You see what you do to me?" He asked, his voice muffled as he pressed his lips to her sternum.

Gaara continued to kiss her skin, his tongue teasing her as she moaned her approval. His right hand trailed the side of her thigh as she leant against the wall, her eyes closed as she felt him swollen against her entrance.

The wall of her suite wasn't the place she would've chosen to get it on with the man who had frustrated and plagued her (despite his absence) for the last two months; Sakura was following Gaara's lead as he undid the string that laced up the back of her dress. He slipped the garment off of her, leaving her in only her underwear. He paused for a moment, taking in the sight of her

Nothing she had ever done with Sasuke could have fully prepared her for this, for this deep seeded _desire_. She knew it was insane, sleeping with someone she barely knew, but the _small_ part of her that was screaming at her to back away right now was fading off into the distance. She _needed_ this as much as she wanted it.

And thank Kami: he carried her over to the bed she'd been sleeping on. She didn't see it as _hers_, having no personal possessions of her own here in Suna. Even the clothes she had been wearing when she'd been kidnapped were taken away from her.

She let out an involuntary yelp at the drop onto her back, but all concerns were gone as she looked up; Gaara was untying the fastenings of his clothes. Sakura watched as he stripped, and her inner pessimist completely disappeared the moment he climbed on top of her; she kissed Gaara with ferociousness befitting his persona more than hers. The kiss was just to keep her mouth preoccupied. His sand tightened slightly around her wrists, reminding her who was really in charge and she relented, shifting her body into a more submissive posture underneath him.

The sand seemed to disappear as his hands found the edges of her underwear and robbed her of the last items of her clothing and he broke the kiss. For a fleeting, insane moment, she thought he was about to pull away and pretend this wasn't happening. She didn't want him to stop. She was ready – more ready than she'd ever been – and didn't want him to stop.

"Gaara," she said softly, her voice laced with her _desire_.

As though reading this as permission, he growled, crashing their lips together. She felt him stiffen against her before thrusting his hips downward, filling her completely.

"Mm hmm!"

She moaned into his mouth, pushing her own hips up to meet his as he moved _painfully_ slow at first, not waiting for her permission this time. She was tight, and he was tired of fighting the inevitable, giving over to the animalistic side of him – the side that just wanted to let go, releasing the restraints he'd held onto for months since they first met. His hands wandered over her body, bringing her with him as he toppled over the edge and into the tempest that was his lust.

…

X X X

…

**A/N: Hm…  
>I kinda decided not to warn of any lemons. I've already said this in <strong>Dark Sands,** but I feel like I need to reiterate it: writing a GaaSaku lemon still feels weird to me (wasn't very descriptive here anyway). I feel like I'm butting in on something that's none of my business, and it's like NaruHina to me: indomitably precious. And I need my head examined… again. ;) Speaking of **Dark Sands**, I've decided what I'm replacing it with. I had a poll on my profile, but there was no need to drag it out, so it's over, but if anyone's interested, the summary for my next GaaSaku is still on the profile. Lotsa love! n_n **

**R&R.**

A quick poll:

Do you prefer to be warned about lemons at the beginning of said chapter, or be surprised by one as you read?


	10. Lifeline

**A/N:  
>You know you've been reading too many GaaSaku stories when you go to read a new one and you IMMEDIATELY notice how freakishly similar it is to another one you read AGES ago… you know what, I take that back. There's no such thing as too many GaaSaku stories. ;P <strong>

**Anyway, thanks to** SapphireRivulet, miikodesu, kimakolovestar, hyuugahinata247, LilithiaRW, StarKiss666, UnknownXPerson, Melodi Moon, IridescentInTheDark, DramaQueen, unendingness, shan mayonaka, my-threesome, Refrigerator-Burn, mich anbeien, moodymel, grounded angel2 **and** XBloodMageRikaX **for reviewing chapter 8, and **tahrocs** for chapter 7.  
>Enjoy! ^_^<strong>

…

– Chapter 9 –  
>.:. Lifeline .:.<p>

…

His dreams were clouded; spots of red and white streaked with sandy brown. Lightning storms weren't a common occurrence in the land of wind, and the rainless thunder turned into sandstorms before water could form in the lower troposphere. All deserts, whether hot or cold, were dry: and none as sandy as the Kaze No Kuni. Wind, intense heat (or cold), and rock worked together to form desert sand.

Gaara's thoughts remained on his dream as he slowly awoke. The night had been exhausting, even for him, and the leisureliness with which he finally shrugged off his sleep proved it.

He'd done this before, sleeping in another woman's room and waking before the sun came up, but this was different. Now, with the naked form of Sakura pressed against him and the hints of the coming sunrise peeking through the high window, he felt no compulsion to flee before the pinkette woke as well. She had her back to him, her head dipped forward, and the edge of her short hair tickled his face. He couldn't help the smile that drifted over his face. Even in her sleep, she bristled against him.

When he threatened her she didn't back down, she didn't let him stop her from saying what she needed to say. She fought fire with fire with him and he enjoyed every minute of it, even if he wouldn't admit it at the time, even to himself. The only thing he wished was different, was the fact that she was here against her will. He wanted to spark the fire in her that had drawn his interest, to banter with her and wake up next to her for the rest of his life. He had no desire to ever sleep with anyone else.

Sakura shifted, moving her head as she leant backwards into him; a soft sigh left her lips and he gripped her tighter, his thoughts dwelling on her very _feminine_ scent before drifting again.

He'd been looking into how that leaf group could've infiltrated Suna without raising any alarms and the thought that whoever had poisoned his father was in league with Konoha hadn't escaped him. It was no coincidence that they'd suddenly had a way into Suna shortly after the true nature of his father's condition became known to him.

And for his part, Gaara had discovered the dead body of the guard responsible for the hidden entrance. The man had been dead for a week prior to that leaf team finding their way into Suna, so someone _had_ to have taken his place. Someone who was let in the front gates and with a reasonable excuse to be in Suna, not to mention why they would've suddenly disappeared a week ago after taking the persona of the guard.

And there were no people missing around the time that had happened, permanent resident or not.

His sand detected fluctuations of unknown chakra throughout Suna at any given point, so the person who'd taken the guard's place would've had to have been in Suna for a while before taking on the dead man's place. Gaara wasn't sure what to think of it – there was nothing where his face used to be, as if it had melted right off or something. What kind of jutsu did that? _How_ did someone steal another person's face?

His eyes drifted over to the window, to the potted plant on the ledge. Where the hell had _that_ come from? He didn't know Sakura had such an ugly plant. It had to be Temari's doing.

His thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door, and he realised Sakura's handmaid was on the other side. She wasn't supposed to enter without permission, but she wasn't going to go anywhere until _someone_ answered the door. Groaning softly, Gaara untangled himself from the pinkette and strode toward the door before pulling it open roughly.

The poor girl made a few squeaking sounds and gave a trembling curtsy before apologising and dashing away.

It was only after he'd closed the door and stalked back toward the bed that he realised he was still naked. That explained the girl's impersonation of a tomato; he didn't care, not embarrassed by how he looked, but made a mental note to make sure that handmaid either stayed quiet or went _missing_. He didn't need it getting out that some insignificant servant had found him in Sakura's room, not to mention _naked_.

Gaara sighed, running his hand through his hair as he debated getting dressed and just leaving the room; hunting down that blonde, slip of a girl and shutting her up was tempting., but something else caught his eye.

And there was no way to excuse what he did next.

Gaara gave his conscience a quick once over, deemed it a waste of time, and walked over to the desk he'd once seen Sakura hunched over, like she was writing out her last will and testament. He'd wondered then what she was up to, and now he had the perfect opportunity to find out.

He scanned the top of the desk, finding nothing of interest, before opening the drawers; there were letters inside, with one addressed to someone called "Naruto" sitting on top; Gaara fingered the edge of the unsealed parchment. It was obviously intended for posterity more than anything ‒ perhaps a journal more than a letter. But he was curious… A part of him _didn't_ want to know who this mystery person was to the pinkette, while the rest of him was whispering how he'd just be making sure it wasn't some lover back in Konoha that he had to have buried somewhere, in a desert far, far away.

He glanced back at Sakura as she stirred, rolling toward his side of the bed, groaning and then rolling away from him again, all awhile murmuring in her sleep. Her breathing was deep and even, so she was definitely asleep. The sheets had fallen away and he was awarded with an unobstructed view of her back; the bed sheet clung to her lower body like a second skin. He gazed at the sight for a moment before returning to the letters. If she didn't know he'd done this, there was no problem.

Gaara inspected the first letter in his hand, and almost didn't open it. Curiosity had always been his undoing.

_Naruto,  
>I know I'm stupid to keep writing letters to you, since I'll never be able to send any of them, but it helps me think. I've been given parchment, writing utensils and some measure of privacy, so why not, right?<br>Hm. What else has happened? I finally have full access to a bathroom, and I've been given what I need to find a cure for their Kazekage. I shouldn't be putting this down on paper but, the fact that someone is trying to poison the man and not have him killed outright, like one would expect for an actual assassination attempt, is suspicious; not that I know much about what assassins really get up to beyond the obvious. It's your fault I don't have a very political mind. I blame you entirely.  
>What I mean to say is I think this isn't about killing Arō, or at least not just about killing him. He'd be dead already if it was. No need to try making it look like a natural death.<br>I shouldn't bore you with this. Hopefully, I'll be able to tell you this to your face eventually. Tell everyone I'm thinking about them, that I haven't given up hope that Gaara will let me go when I'm done here.  
>And tell Sasuke… tell Sasuke I still love him. No matter what, I always will.<br>Love Sakura._

Gaara stared at the parchment, struggling not to scrunch it in his hands. Never mind this Naruto, this _Sasuke_ was a dead man. He pondered on how to achieve exactly that when he noted the date on the letter: it was shortly after he'd moved Sakura to this room. He rummaged around, looking for one with a later date. There was another one addressed to "Kakashi" and Gaara had a sudden image in his head of the copy ninja. Kakashi Hatake was one of the leaf Shinobi who had infiltrated Suna – a day he wouldn't forget. The date on it was the 15th of February – during the two months he'd ignored Sakura. Glancing again to make sure the pinkette was still fast asleep, Gaara started to read.

_Kakashi,  
>I never really know what to say to you. I included a request for shishou in my letter to her to kick your arse for me because we both know she can, but other than that, nothing much else comes to mind. Is Sai home yet? He promised me a present when he came back next time, since he spends so much time away from Konoha these days. And Yamato?<br>When I have so little to do, writing to you guys is the only thing that makes me feel less lonely. But I wanted to say, Kakashi-Sensei, no matter what happens, I'll never regret our times as Team Seven, and replacing you with Tsunade; just kidding. I expect a hug when I get back – no backing out on this one.  
>Love Sakura.<em>

He told himself to stop – these were personal and none of his business. But Gaara couldn't help himself. It was more than just invading her privacy, these un-mailed letters were a window into understanding the woman he had fallen in love with. A nagging voice in the back of his head told him if he really loved her, that he would put everything back, and confess his depravity to her when she woke up. But he was a coward more than anything else, and selfish – no matter how much he cared about her. Nobody was perfect after all. He had a raison d'être, and reasoning beyond selfish insanity.

Gaara waded again, through the parchment, and one addressed to "Ino" caught his eye – it was dated for the 27th of March, three days ago.

_Ino,  
>It's been almost two months. Why won't he come see me? I know what you're thinking: I sound stupid, hoping my captor will come and "rescue" me from my solitude. But I love him Ino, I really do. I know that's hard to believe and completely insane, but I can't help it. I want to rant and yell at him but I can't. He won't come when I pull on the sand on my wrist. He didn't tell me that you tried to come find me, he didn't care enough to give me that much. It makes me wonder what he really does think about me, if anything at all.<br>Oh yeah, and it was Kankuro that told me about you, Naruto, Kakashi-Sensei and Sasuke. Who'd have thought Sasuke of all people would come traipsing into Suna? I'd have thought he'd still be in Otogakure, on his precious mission. But I'm glad he did – I'm glad you all did.  
>Kankuro also told me that Hinata's pregnant; it's weird to hear it from him instead of Naruto and Hinata. I mean, he's never even met them! I wish that I had been there when she and Naruto decided to reveal that they were expecting. Every Shinobi nation must know if Suna does. I miss you all so much. I can't wait to see you.<br>Love Sakura.  
>P.S. If you've let my bonsai wilt and die, I'll personally rearrange your pig face.<em>

Suddenly feeling self-conscious, Gaara carefully replaced every letter, mentally chastising himself. He'd gotten so used to not caring how selfish he seemed to others that it had become habit to just give into every single one of his own whims. He wondered what a _normal_ person would have done upon seeing those letters as he made up his mind not to leave the room after all.

Gaara slipped back under the sheets, wrapped his arms around Sakura's waist, his mind reeling.

Sasuke.

Sasuke.

Gaara wasn't stupid, and the answer was slapping him in the face: the raven haired man in that leaf group had had the Sharingan. He was this Sasuke… Sasuke Uchiha, and Sakura had a history with him.

'_How could I forget that?'_

Back when Arō had first fallen sick, and it became clear that no medic under his authority or within their alliance could cure him, Gaara had stayed awake for almost four days pouring through all the candidates that weren't necessarily on good terms with the land of wind. The apprentice to the Hokage was forefront in his mind, but he did entertain the idea of other well-known medics before finally settling on her. So he got to work knowing his enemy, learning what he could through their contacts and running down her entire ninja career, which included dossiers on her team mates as well.

There had been a titbit of information regarding a long standing relationship with some Uchiha, or a team mate, and Gaara saw now that it was _both_.

He glanced down at Sakura as mumbled something unintelligible. She looked so peaceful, so he decided to pull her to his chest and wait for her to wake up on her own.

… …

… …

The morning luncheon that Gaara had promised the council six months ago that he would be a part of failed miserably; he had been a no-show, and as was expected from someone so delinquent, had been impossible to track down since that abysmal fiasco at the celebrations the night before. So the council went right along like it was business as usual. Also, with Arō Sabaku bedridden for the rest of the day, they also decided to hold an impromptu meeting, to discuss the commotion the night before, not to mention the waning support from Iwagakure as their Kazekage's condition failed to improve.

Councillor Rikuto was the resident genjutsu expert on the council, having been renown in his own right in his youth, and had even handpicked Captain Yura to lead the groups responsible for the genjutsu that hid their village from outsiders. It was a play on sandstorms and wind alike; nobody outside of Suna natives knew how infrequent it _really_ was for such storms to actually linger outside the village.

It had also been his suggestion that Arō be deposed before his condition killed him.

There were no words subtle enough for such a proposal, but he had tried. What mattered was that Suna appeared strong, even when they could not honestly claim to be so.

"Gaara must take his place as Kazekage," he insisted. "With our alliance with Iwa waning, it's only a matter of time before one of them slips up and the rest of the shinobi nations discover our kage is unable to perform his duties."

"He too has been unreliable as of late," Sakyou said, not bothering to hide his frustration for the boy. "That Kunoichi is distracting him; this morning is a perfect example of his dereliction of duty."

Nobody commented on that. Gaara Sabaku was the Kaze-heika, and as such, he had a duty to his people. But it was more than just learning the ins and outs of politics, or actually gracing them with his presence when he'd said he would. This went beyond that, at least as far as many on the council were concerned. Arō had been through this and warned Gaara not to take it lightly, and the youngest Sabaku had been rather accepting of it. This Kunoichi however, could mess things up.

Silence fell between them until finally, Councillor Satsumi spoke up with what she believed a more immediate concern. "As for the other topic at hand, I believe we need to revise our current defences, not the least of which is the border genjutsu that guards our village."

Rikuto scoffed. "No-one's getting through the genjutsu."

"That illusion is only so strong," she reminded him, earning herself a grunt of annoyance from the prideful genjutsu master. She silently reminded herself also, that even the strongest illusion could fall prey to an equally strong enough opponent, not wanting to anger Rikuto – he would waste valuable time defending what he'd always seen as a superior form of jutsu. "We need to re-evaluate our alliances and if necessary, cut them off before they do more harm than good."

"We have yet to be invaded by opposing forces, and you're acting like the enemy already has a strong foothold in our halls," Councillor Junichi hissed.

He wasn't one to jump to conclusions – people thought him too idle when it came to threats, but he believed himself cautious. It was an underrated instinct these days.

"Stop pretending nothing's going on," Satsumi snapped back at him, crossing her arms over her chest. "We all know the alliance with Iwa is faltering ‒ it's why we're here."

"Then what is it you propose?" Sakyou asked.

"I agree with deposing Arō," she said, "and beginning young Gaara's rise to Kazekage. But appearances aren't the only thing we need to be wary of. Is no-one else concerned that it's been two months and we haven't heard a thing about Konoha's reaction to the disappearance of Sakura Haruno?"

They were planning something, or already had; she wasn't going to sit on her arse and pretend otherwise.

It was clear to Satsumi then and there that she was the only one who'd realised this. What had they been doing for two months? Sometimes she wondered how most of these doddery men obtained their seats on the council.

But before anyone could rebuke or accede to her words, an ANBU appeared in a flurry of smoke. He was the only member of the ANBU black ops allowed to enter the council chambers this way, so no-one complained. His mask depicted a fowl and his codename was Capon.

"Excuse my intrusion esteemed councillors," he said, bowing appropriately. "But this communiqué arrived mere moments ago, and it is apparently for your eyes only."

Sakyou motioned to him and the man handed over a small scroll before using Shunshin to disappear. One by one, the councillors read the missive, with varying degrees of shock on their faces. It was signed by Orochimaru, the third Senkage.

… …

… …

Sakura hadn't really given any thought to what was going to happen when she woke up. That was her own fault for letting her hormones make the decision on whether or not to give into Gaara's advances.

But the feeling of freedom to choose what side of the bed to sleep on paled in comparison to waking up next to another warm body. She was whole, complete and in stark contrast to what she'd felt before now, something akin to deliriously happy. The next morning after sleeping with someone for the first time, regardless of how many other lovers she'd had, was supposed to feel awkward. And yet, Sakura had never felt more at ease.

Gaara's arms were at her waist, wrapping her in a possessive hold; he was pressed so firmly against her that she was surprised she could still breathe. Sakura shifted, nuzzling his chest; an understanding had passed between them and before he had even realised she was awake, Gaara was already stroking her. His fingers slipped between them and she lifted her head to stare at him, riding out his little adventure. To say he was turned on by the involuntary sounds he was inducing was an understatement; moving his hips with hers, he leant in to kiss her as she instinctively grinded against him. The moment she'd registered that she was waking, her body had already caught on to the sensations being induced from the man lying next to her.

There was no resistance from her body as he entered her, sinking inside and as far as he could go. Gaara moved immediately, the previous teasing pace uninterrupted as he stared into her eyes. She let out a yelp as he pushed her onto her back and Sakura kissed him again, running her hands through his choppy crimson locks. He had been so rough last night that she braced herself for the inevitable, only to realise Gaara was taking it easy this time. He didn't quicken as she grinded him, merely shifting to get a better angle on her. He was taking control, and seemed content to immerse himself in her body as lovingly as possible.

And Sakura found herself all the more aroused because of it.

The tension coiled through her, straining for release that wouldn't come, not yet. He slowed whenever he felt her edging near her end, dragging it out on purpose. And just when she couldn't take it anymore, she constricted around him one last time, her body moving of its own accord as she grew tighter and tighter before screaming out her lover's name; waves of wanton pleasure crashed over her, and the flushed body on top of her pushed her over the edge.

Sakura sighed, shuddering in the next moment, as Gaara emptied inside of her, and no words could describe the growl that emanated from him.

She was content to just stay the way she was, the Kaze-heika on top of her, still inside her, and fast falling asleep again. But Gaara rolled off her immediately, pulling her into his chest. The scent of his exhaustion was overwhelming and the smell of sex made her hum softly.

"Sakura?"

"Hm?"

"Don't ever leave me."

"Hm."

She was too tired to respond properly, her eyes closed and a small smile on her face; but he kissed her softly, deciding that soft moan was one of compliance. "Go back to sleep," he whispered.

Sakura did as she was told; it was easy, the hammering of his heart effectively lulling her to sleep.

She woke up again what seemed hours later; Gaara was moving off of her bed and the sound of rustling clothes confirmed that he was indeed leaving. Again, she was too tired to react, and through hazy, heavy lidded eyes, she watched him disappear in a swirl of sand as she drifted off again.

… …

… …

Temari thrummed her fingers along the windowsill, glaring at the sun and fidgeting. She was worried about her little brother – that idiotic redhead had gone and done something, she just knew it. No-one had seen him since last night's debacle with that ridiculous Iwagakure dignitary, and he _really_ knew how to hide.

Come to think of it, he'd left with Sakura…

She glanced back as Kankuro sighed and flopped ungracefully from his standing position against the doorframe, onto the floor. They were in Gaara's room – he couldn't avoid this place forever.

"Where _is_ he?" Kankuro whined.

"Why don't you go creep around the other hallways and domiciles and look for him," Temari said.

"Nah, he'll come back here."

"You just don't _want_ to go looking for him."

"True."

Temari sighed. "Idiot."

He didn't answer, closing his eyes and letting himself drift away – not to fall asleep, but enough so that the distant humming of outside noise (from outside the main house of the Sabaku family) soothed instead of annoyed him. He knew Gaara would be back; he just liked to torture them with his disappearing acts. But after that mess the night before, this was troubling. Kankuro had a bad feeling about it. Someone had deliberately gone after their father with a strangely overdone attempt at inconspicuous assassination, the Iwagakure delegates were one senbon short of a survival kit, and Gaara had decided to fly the coup shortly after the party. It bugged him, but what he needed right now was uninterrupted and deep meditation, not the crazies, as Temari had been like all morning.

Funnily enough, said Kunoichi had grown quiet after her slight on his intelligence. He decided to count his blessings and not retort. Best not to fan the flames she was so _talented_ at creating.

His calm was short lived as Temari started pacing. Out of the two of them, she was the smarter, the stronger, and the most likely to get married first (drawn out engagements not-withstanding). But one thing Kankuro could proudly boast to do better than the oldest Sabaku sibling was keep his cool; even when he did lose it, it was usually long after Temari, or Gaara had. He'd learnt from the best – their mother.

"You're going to wear a hole in the floor," he said, not opening his eyes.

"And you're going to fall asleep," she retorted. "Aren't you worried?"

"Very, but I'm trying not to let it affect my blood pressure."

She groaned. "You're right."

Kankuro opened his eyes, surprised to find that she'd gone and lain down on Gaara's bed. "You do know that Gaara's had sex in that bed, right?"

He chuckled as she jumped up, darted away, and settled on the one person settee instead. "Shut up," she snapped.

"Alright, alright, calm down." He continued to smile. "I think he doesn't use his own bed anyway – can't sneak out of the room before the _random_ girl wakes up if it's his room. Well, I guess he could, but he'd have to come back eventually."

Temari eyed the bed. "Are you sure?" It was very comfortable after all.

He shrugged. "Ask him when he comes back."

Temari frowned at him. "Maybe…"

She didn't want to voice the thought that had just popped into her head, considering that Kankuro had feelings for Sakura. Gaara hadn't come back to his room – the maids had confirmed as much, since they hadn't been allowed in to clean, and the bed was still made. To top it off, the last time anyone had seen him, he'd been with Sakura. She bit her bottom lip, wondering if it had occurred to Kankuro that Sakura had finally given into their little brother. All worries seemed a distant concern for the puppet master – he'd closed his eyes again, and a small tug on the corner of his mouth told her he was at least mildly happy. He'd just made her feel better, which had probably been his intention all along.

Temari passed the time recounting the last set of proper etiquette she'd learnt as preparation for her wedding, despite that the whole affair still made her depressed. It was something to do. She'd just checked the clock by Gaara's bed for the eighteenth time when he finally arrived.

"What are you two doing in here?"

Kankuro climbed sleepily to his feet and wiped at his eyes – he completed the image with a stifled yawn.

"Waiting for you," Temari said, standing up. "Where have you been?"

Gaara gave Kankuro a slightly uneasy glance before disappearing into his bathroom.

"Gaara!" Her voice was drowned out as the shower came on, but she wouldn't be deterred, pacing again and waiting for him to finish. When he finally emerged, she left him be to get dressed (all of their bedrooms had an impressive en suite walk-in wardrobe). "We were worried about you," she said. "You disappeared Gaara."

She didn't expect an immediate response.

"I was busy," Gaara said, finally emerging, fully clothed. He wore his usual trousers and overalls, and looked completely at ease. She was getting a nagging feeling she'd been right about him being with Sakura.

"Busy with what?" She asked.

He frowned at her. "I was busy," he repeated.

"Doing what?"

He didn't respond, glancing at Kankuro warily before moving to the window. Sometimes, if he ignored them long enough, they left him be.

"Gaara?" Temari asked, worried. "What did you do?"

He continued to ignore her, preferring to pretend he was more interested in the sight before him; from his window, he could see children playing ninja and a group of teenage girls talking in huddled whispers. This unremarkable sight wasn't one he was unaccustomed to so it was easy to distract his thoughts by staring impassively at such a lively scene. He suddenly found the humdrum of the world below a far more interesting sight than it had been a day ago.

"Gaara?"

It was Kankuro this time. His voice was even, but Gaara heard the barest hint of curiosity nonetheless. Both of his siblings had caught on pretty quickly to the fact that Gaara was physically attracted to the pinkette, but neither would have guessed he would find himself drawing her into his bed. He had had slept with her in the bed that had been _hers_ for two months. How were they to know he would give anything to be there right now, perhaps forever, and keep her all to himself? They weren't to know he'd hand Suna over to the enemy to keep Sakura from leaving his side. What would they know of how he could barely breathe in her presence, and when she wasn't around he could still _feel_ her?

Nothing.

And he was well aware that his love for her was entirely selfish.

Temari touched her younger brother lightly on the shoulder, worried about him.

"Were you with Sakura?" She asked.

Unable to lie to her, Gaara nodded his head softly, but avoided eye contact all the same.

"What did you do Gaara?" The question was a moot point, as it was clear what he was going to say, if he ever came out and just admitted it.

'_I fell in love with her.'_

He wasn't one to mince words, but at the same time, he found the words difficult to voice. He had tried to keep himself away from her, to avoid the temptation of mixing business with pleasure – she was supposed to be a means to an end, that's all. But he'd proceeded to fuck her senseless instead. How did one say that without sounding crude or ridiculous? He trusted that neither Temari nor Kankuro would sell him out to the council, but there were so many other factors to consider, not the least of which was Sakura's position as enemy prisoner and not consort to the Kaze-heika. Sighing, he knew that he couldn't keep this from them, not successfully anyway, and they'd be more annoyed with him if he lied.

'_And I still have a handmaid to deal with.'_

Gaara turned his head to look at Temari, noting that she was calm while Kankuro was a little fidgety (it was usually the other way around). The redhead had suspected the brunette had grown fond of Sakura, which made this confession that much more difficult. But there was no getting out of this.

"I slept with her."

Kami that was… weird sounding, coming from him. He could hardly believe the words were his.

Kankuro's reaction was as he'd predicted; he looked embarrassed, shocked, and _incredibly_ jealous. No hint of anger yet, but Gaara wasn't holding his breath on that outcome. Temari however, seemed to have gone blank. Her face was emotionless except for those calculating eyes of hers and, uncharacteristically, she didn't seem to have anything to say to him. And the silence dragged on. Eventually however, the blonde broke said silence, a soft look of concern now shadowing her features.

"It was consensual?"

Gaara _hated_ the way she said that, possibly even more than this conversation itself. He didn't want to be talking to either of his siblings about sex. It felt so… _unnatural_. His expression grew rigid and he nodded his head slowly, conveying without words how annoyed he was with her half-hearted accusation.

"I had to ask Gaara," she said, her voice light and indifferent now. "Frankly, every time I see you two in the same room together I worry you're about to jump her right then and there. You haven't been very good at hiding your feelings lately, and she's chaotic at best: I worry my little brother might suddenly decide to rape the only person who might be able to heal our father." She raised her hands in a surrendering motion as he growled at her. "I only mean to say I'm glad you two are getting along so well."

Temari was saved from his wrath by a knock at the door. The medic's name was Kokoro Shimizu – she was the most recent apprentice of their uncle. He was more of a teacher lately anyway, and hadn't been involved in anything otherwise since Arō's first symptoms, but no medic within their grasp was spared from that.

"Kokoro?" Kankuro asked. "Is everything okay?"

She shook her head. "Your father has taken a turn; I came to ask the Kaze-heika to fetch the leaf medic."

They knew her well enough to know that they'd already tried to help Arō and now Sakura was the only hope left. Temari turned around to tell Gaara he should fetch Sakura only to realise he had already disappeared.

"We'll meet him there," she said instead, dragging Kankuro with her as she followed Kokoro.

Gaara had shunshined out the moment Kokoro mentioned his father, and was surprised to find Sakura already awake and dressed (though there was no reason he should be). But before she could tend to his father, he had to do one last thing. Screw the council, and fuck the rules: Gaara took a hold of Sakura's wrists, ignoring her widened eyes, allowed the sand shackles to release their grip on her, and pushed his chakra into her body. She trembled at the invasion, the searing heat of his chakra threatening to overload her; there was no time to allow her chakra to come back naturally. He ignored her silent, questioning eyes, relaying Kokoro's message, and didn't wait for her to acquiesce before teleporting her with him and directly into his father's chambers.

Sakura pulled away immediately, moving forward as the medics in the room made room for her. She hadn't scrubbed up, but the pinkette had done emergency surgery in all kinds of conditions, regardless of hygiene. Arō was flat on his back, thrashing and screaming unintelligibly – she didn't have time to worry about anything else right now. She vaguely sensed several more people arriving, but didn't dwell on it.

Sakura ran her borrowed chakra over Arō's body, looking for the poison and cocking her head slightly to the side as an indication to the nearest nurse who had seemed to have anticipated her needs; the woman had clean towels, and a basin of water laid out. The Kazekage's condition had gone beyond the hydrous paste she'd created in an attempt to stave off the poison, and there was no getting around it: this was going to hurt.

"Hold him down!" She snapped, as Arō broke away from her gasp.

Gaara's chakra, though powerful, was too foreign and she struggled to control it. The medics strapped Arō down, his newly strapped bonds consisting of chakra enhanced cords and fastenings.

Without warning, she shifted chakra roughly through his torso, moving directly to his pelvis where the majority of the poison had been the last time she examined him ‒ there was no time to make this gentle as possible. The newest build-up of toxin was lower than last time, but his system was weaker than she'd ever seen it, having little to no time to recover from every application.

"Damn it."

How the _hell_ was he still being poisoned? Didn't Gaara have someone personally supervising what he ate and drank? If they didn't give her everything she wanted after this, she was going to kill that red head herself. This was downright infuriating!

"Arō," she groaned, foregoing the honorifics. "Get your arse in gear old man."

She needed him to stop thrashing, to hear her voice and _help_ her. Gaara's chakra was finally synching with hers and she sighed in relief as her control aligned the way she was used to. Sakura syphoned as much of the poison as she could, using the water and cleaning her hands periodically; his skin had ruptured and blood adorned her hands more than once before he finally settled down.

Once the Kazekage stopped struggling, Gaara came closer, close enough to hear Sakura murmur in his father's ears "I'm sorry: I'm sorry, I can't do anything more."

Almost immediately, the other medics ran from the room once the sand started to form. Terrified of their own Kaze-heika, they didn't hesitate to flee the moment they saw his unearthly weapon even begin to appear. Somewhere behind him, familiar voices tried to soothe him, but he ignored his siblings.

"Gaara," Sakura said, taking his arm; he stopped and stared at her. "Get out of the room."

The order was so audacious, he was too shocked to respond. But Temari and Kankuro moved forward to help. Once they were gone, Sakura eyed her patient, feeling as exhausted as he looked. It wasn't over, not by a long shot.

And even though Arō was no longer thrashing, his body having lost what little energy it had left, he was still straining against his bonds. His eyes pleaded with her and it was all Sakura could do not to put him out of his misery herself.

…

X X X

…

**A/N: Bad Gaara! Bad, bad, bad Gaara! Naughty. Shouldn't invade Sakura's privacy like that. He'll get his… ;P  
>Anyway, a bit more of a serious ending there. I've been on such a roll this last week with GaaSaku – reading, writing… and I've finally started posting a new GaaSaku, My Enemy, My Friend, so if anyone likes humour on their genre, you should check it out. Compared to The Spoils of War, it's more like a side project (with a faster update rate though… hopefully), but still, it's a fun one. <strong>**Lotsa love! **** ^_^**

**R&R.**

A quick poll:

What is it you like about GaaSaku? (If you don't, go away… jk. Come back. ;P)


	11. Shifting Sand

**A/N:  
>Laziness is the excuse of a genius. ;P JK.<strong>

**Anyway, thanks to** SapphireRivulet, IridescentInTheDark, miikodesu, "Guest" [PLacId… yeah, I know who you are, lol), hyuugahinata247, "Anonymous", kimakolovestar, Kor Anders, DramaQueen, Mary Mab, my-threesome, LovelyWrath, StarKiss666, Yakame Seika of the Wind, XBloodMageRikaX, Chyna Fey, JeanyDeiXzz, Koda, witchprincess33, Nee-han93, ArnaKittyPet **and** **anyone else I've forgotten, for ****reviewing****.**

**I love Neji. I want to kill Kishi… *sighs* Enjoy. ^_^**

…

– Chapter 10 –  
>.:. Shifting Sand .:.<p>

…

He didn't understand who he was anymore. If someone hated him enough, he could be killed. When he was loved, he was saved. But when he lay helplessly in bed with no-one but the enemy hovering over him, watching him for a paroxysmal relapse, who was he, really? His title of Kage held no weight in this situation. He could not order her to keep her distance without his voice. He could not shift out of her grip if unconscious. He could not fight back with no control over his chakra, let alone his body.

And unfortunately, Arō Sabaku could hear, feel and sense everything going on around him, despite the pain.

Washes of colour had infected him like a virus ‒ an ostentatious, smiling virus that pretended to want to dazzle and excite him, all while eating him alive and laughing at him. He knew that the dead did not bleed, and the dead could not feel pain… and he'd never felt pain quite like this before. The weight pressing down on his chest was solid, unmoving against his throbbing heartbeat, and merciless. He wanted to writhe, to push it off of him, but his body wasn't responding.

It wasn't until the pressure eased of its own accord, and a warm breath on his bare chest reminded him of the medic hovering over him that Arō realised he'd been in no actual danger. Almost like an afterthought, his body finally trembled; he could breathe easy again. And just like that, the fourth Kazekage drifted off again, realising he'd actually been awake the whole time, just restrained and unable to feel anything.

Sakura watched as his breathing even and sighed deeply, relieved. Unlike women, men breathed from the diaphragm, so the rise and fall from Arō's breaths was more noticeable at the abdominal area. She smiled at that thought. Women breathed _properly_. She held back her giggle, choosing instead to half-collapse into the armchair by the Kazekage's bed.

His personal chambers were ill-equipped to serve as an emergency Intensive Care Room, and on top of that, no-one wanted to force him in there and Karura out. Sakura was weirded out: just when she would be getting used to one unspoken Suna rule, another always jumped out at her. It was rather like avoiding a gust of wind, only to be slapped in the face with a fierce blast of grating sand. So she agreed to kicking the Kazekage out of his room (as childish as that sounded) and not letting his family into his current _residence_ outside of visiting hours.

If the Sabaku family had their own pied-à-terre, she was sure they'd move him there instead. A vacation home sounded nice right about now. Sakura would go somewhere colder, possibly the land of iron…

'_What the hell am I thinking?'_

She mentally slapped herself. No matter what, she was still a hostage, and her only destination should be _home_. She missed Konoha intolerably, along with her friends and family, but sometimes, she forgot. It was becoming annoying.

Sakura contemplated just making a mad dash for freedom. The windows were open, the fresh air wafting into the room having a drug like effect on her thoughts, and the only other person in the room was in no condition to stop her from leaving. Her chakra was unblocked, and completely under her own control, although currently weakened and strained from the previous night's labours. Working on Arō for twelve hours straight, just to keep his heart beating was the most exhausting thing she'd done since Tsunade first started training her.

His immune system was completely shot to hell. She'd finally isolated the protein that was feeding the toxin when his organs began failing. It was driving her up the wall. She felt like she was fighting a losing battle; one moment he was stable, and then for the next two hours, writhing under her chakra as she attempted to stabilise him. But Sakura was confident he was out of the woods this time. As long as no new poison entered his system, he would survive.

'_Tall order.'_

The fastest way for a drug to get to the brain was via smoking ‒ that was why nicotine, for example, was so addictive. The second fastest was injection (directly into the bloodstream), followed by snorting or sniffing through the nostrils (intranasal). The slowest delivery method was ingestion – alcohol, for example. This took minutes, rather than mere seconds, to cause behavioural and biological changes.

Arō Sabaku had been injected – it was practically screaming at her now. Sakura had been confused at first because that delivery method left marks, and she'd forgotten that a high level medic always had ways of avoiding this. She wasn't aware of any medics in Suna (or Iwa for that matter) with this level of skill. And all of Arō's symptoms had ruled out genetics and environment as sources of the disease – back when she contemplated that this might actually be Ilac-Vesical Disease. Obviously, that was a moot point now.

What she had been calling a toxin, was a mixture of several herbs she'd identified as being popular in several lands – most notably, the land of sound ‒ and a metal based element, not dissimilar to Black Tar Heroin (common in all six great Shinobi nations). It was annoyingly simple once she thought about it though, the components that is. But their preparation eluded her. She wondered if it mattered now, since she had flushed it out and in conjunction with the herbal masters here in Suna, created an appropriate, although slow working antidote.

He still needed her.

Sakura frowned.

The Kazekage needed her.

She couldn't leave him like this.

The thick stench of medical waste and hospital disinfectants weren't what screwed up her nose this time. She decided not to dwell on it and just get more comfortable; the armchair was a poor substitute for a real bed, but it would do for now. Gaara flitted into her head and her hand unconsciously went to her chest, as though attempting to grip her heart. She didn't know what she wanted anymore. Being with him had made her so happy, despite the circumstance, and she allowed herself to feel like a deliriously happy teenager in love at that. But she'd left her adolescence behind, in more ways than one, knowing that love was as deceitful as an enemy Shinobi. Her heart was a fool, and had no way of knowing if she was meant to be with Gaara, or Sasuke, or perhaps someone else – someone who wasn't an enemy combatant. Someone safe, respectful, and not prone to fits of anger.

That was her head talking. The sensible thing to do would be to find some nice Konoha ninja or civilian and take the safe path. But it wasn't what her heart wanted… even when it was wrestling with itself. Sakura sighed, glanced at the open window, and then closed her eyes to catch up on some much needed rest.

A few nurses came in periodically over the next few hours, their chakra rousing her even though she never acknowledged their presence, and kept her eyes closed the entire time ‒ most of the time she was too physically drained to do so anyway. They checked the IV unit, double checked Arō's chart, and occasionally moved over to Sakura, making sure she hadn't exhausted her chakra to the point of malnourishment. If they knew she was pretending to be asleep, they gave no actual signs of it. One of the nurses had actually fetched a blanket, for which she was both grateful and confused.

When did they decide she was worth the effort?

Visiting hours crept up on her and before she knew it, Sakura's sleep was again disturbed, but this time by a more powerful Shinobi. The door creaked open gently, as though the visitor was worried about causing a scene bursting in, and he left it open as he tiptoed over to her.

Yashamaru smiled, tapping her shoulder gently. She might fool the other medics, but he could tell the deep, even breathing of the Konoha Kunoichi was just a ruse. She was fascinating: her dedication to duty was finally earning her respect around the hospital. The nurses that he'd heard bitching about her from the day she arrived in Suna were now fussing over her vitals and sparing her looks of concern and adoration. They still spoke in hushed whispers about her, but now, instead of happily contemplating the many horrible ways she might be executed, their conversations circled how dedicated she was, and what they wouldn't give to have even an ounce of her talent.

The hypocrites.

And if it were not for Sakura Haruno, the Kazekage wouldn't have survived the past two months, let alone the previous night.

"Is she awake?" The soft voice behind Yashamaru belonged to his daughter and he nodded his head.

"Yes Mia, she's just pretending to be asleep."

His daughter giggled as Sakura groaned, her ruse broken, and opened her eyes warily.

"The jig is up," Mia said, in a sing-song voice; she stepped into the room and hugging the pinkette – much to Sakura's immense surprise. She pulled away quickly, and the pinkette realised she was carrying a basket of flowers. "I'm just going to find some vases for these."

She traipsed over to the adjoining room (which Sakura was sure was a bathroom, not a supply closet) humming to herself.

"Don't mind her," Yashamaru said, leaning over Arō's bed and smoothing the sheets unnecessarily. "She's always been like that."

"She reminds me of a friend of mine," Sakura said, stifling a yawn as she sat up properly.

"Hm?" The older medic gave her a questioning look, pulling a chair from underneath the window and getting comfortable on the other side of his brother-in-law.

"Yeah, Naruto ‒ bubbly, easily excited and quick to hug."

"That sounds like Mia alright."

Sakura smiled, her eyes drifting to Arō as he gave a particularly deep sigh.

"You miss your home."

Sakura nodded. "Yeah."

"Gaara wishes for you to stay."

"I know."

"He's with the council right now."

Sakura snapped her head up and viridian eyes widened. "What?"

What the hell was Gaara doing?

Yashamaru continued as though she wasn't completely terrified. "He's threatening to leave Suna if the council tries to execute you."

"He can't do that!"

"Actually, he can," Mia said gently, walking back into the room. She placed the vase on a window side table and made to leave the room. "Physically, he can," she added quickly, at the disbelieving look on Sakura's face. "Legally, he can't."

"But‒"

"I'll tell him you're awake," Mia interrupted, and left.

"Tell me Gaara won't throw his life away," Sakura pleaded, and when the older medic sighed, leaning backwards heavily in his chair, she knew it was true. "He can't. Doesn't he understand‒"

"No," Yashamaru said, "he doesn't. Gaara has always chosen what he wanted and just gone for it. He doesn't know you wouldn't want him to do this for you. He's oblivious."

"Someone needs to stop him," she said haughtily. If she knew she'd get anywhere near the council chamber before an ANBU would find and stop her, she'd have left with Mia. As it was, she felt completely helpless.

"They're trying," Yashamaru said. "_I_ tried: but he's stubborn. Luckily however, the council values him more than they'll admit."

Sakura stared at him, only semi aware that the Kazekage was shifting noisily in his sleep inches away from her. She knew Gaara was strong, but they'd be able to stop him from leaving if they wanted to, right?

"Don't worry," Yashamaru said. "Everything will be fine."

She snorted, but said nothing, now just watching Arō as he finally settled and stopped twitching. He had been dreaming, and by the looks of things, it hadn't been very pleasant. It was a few minutes before Yashamaru spoke again.

"I love my nephew," he said. "But he can be… difficult. He has so much baggage that most people don't get close to him. And they _can't_."

"Everyone has baggage," Sakura said, her eyes settling on Arō uncomfortably.

"You're not perfect?"

She glared at him; her expression softened at the cheek on his face. He was joking, of course. She sighed, shifted in the chair, and returned to staring at her patient instead. "I've done some pretty stupid stuff too."

"Do tell."

She shook her head. "I'll tell you mine if you tell me yours."

He smiled. "Touché."

'_And everyone has their secrets.'_

Sakura sighed, leaning her head against the headrest of the chair.

"It's obvious to everyone who knows him how he feels about you."

"You mean how he kept arguing with the council over my treatment?" Sakura asked.

Yashamaru shook his head. "No, Gaara would have done that for any captive that was caught for the reasons you were."

She couldn't help the feeling of foreboding this gave her and Sakura frowned, disappointed.

He shook his head. "You misunderstand: yes, Gaara would protect a valuable captive against the council's wish to torture, but the way he approached your safety was with the vigour of a man in love, even though it took him awhile to accept and admit it." Sakura blushed now, and he smiled. "Yes, if things were different, you could have been happy here." He wished Gaara had had the chance to court this extraordinary young woman properly. "I hope one day something can be done for the two of you."

It was a pipedream, as far as he was concerned, but a dream worth holding onto anyway. Miracles didn't happen on their own after all.

"Knock, knock." Sakura looked up as Temari pushed the door open without waiting for a response, her brothers, mother, Mia, and the woman Sakura recognised from Arō's party as Mia's mother (Nakimi), filed in after her. "Anyone hungry?"

Sakura shifted uncomfortably, feeling like an unwanted addition; Gaara staring at her impassively wasn't helping either.

"Starving," Yashamaru replied, standing up and inspecting the bag of food she was carrying. "Did you bring any dumplings?"

"That shit'll rot your teeth," Kankuro said, not ducking in time as his mother smacked the back of his head. "Ow! What was that for?"

"Potty mouth," Mia answered for Karura, and winked at Sakura before taking her father's vacated seat by Arō's bed.

"What happened?"

Sakura's gaze was pulled away from the hilarious scene and she realised Gaara was talking. That voice of his had a magnetic pull, despite her current urge to keep him in her peripherals.

"The council wishes to ally with Konoha," he continued, and she realised she hadn't heard his first words upon entering the room.

"What's going on with Iwa?"

Gaara gave his uncle a strange look as several eyes flickered over the still silent Sakura.

"They're getting twitchy," Kankuro answered for him. "The council thinks they'll attack us soon."

Temari snorted. "Typical."

"Sakura?" Mia asked.

The pinkette hummed, nodding to indicate she was listening.

"Um, do you think Lady Tsunade will accept an armistice?"

All eyes were on her and Sakura felt even more embarrassed, pulling her feet up onto the chair, her knees under her chin. Mia's mother was the only one not looking intently. She seemed content, like a fussing mother barely a part of the conversation.

"I don't know," she said honestly.

'_Maybe, if I hadn't been kidnapped.'_

Sakura's unease strangely eased off as the Sabaku family went back to carrying on like human form primates, talking, eating, making stupid jokes, and hitting Kankuro every time he said something smutty. Karura eventually took Mia's place by Arō's side and stayed close to him, her eyes drifting from him to Sakura occasionally as though she wanted to ask the pink haired medic something but wasn't sure how to word it.

All awhile, Sakura avoided Gaara's persistent staring. Instead, she mentally went through the salve she'd prepared for Arō, to keep her mind occupied. But Sakura watched them, remembering the thought that had crossed her mind earlier: that everyone had their secrets. This oddly easy air Gaara's family had was not one she'd seen, ever. Naruto's parents were dead. Sasuke argued with his father (and _never_ in a friendly way) every time they spent more than a few seconds in each other's presence. Ino came close however, but the blonde didn't like staying with family for very long – they nagged, pestered and bugged her, every time, to settle down, or at least find a good boyfriend who's not opposed to the idea of having children.

Sakura fiddled with her dishevelled, unironed clothes absentmindedly. The weight of Gaara's stare was making her incredibly nervous. Tsunade was her surrogate mother, but they acted more like master and student – which they were, really. She remembered her parents – mostly her father – and Tsunade had merely looked after her when they'd died. She hadn't had the kind of relationship with her parents that people without family coveted, but it hadn't been horrible. They just never understood each other and once Tsunade had agreed to be her mentor, Sakura had spent less and less time with them before she lost them for good.

Sakura's eyes finally drifted to Gaara, and then over the Sabaku family as they continued their repartee. She silently watched the seemingly picture perfect family, wondering what that felt like.

… …

… …

Konoha was bathed in sporadic darkness. The lights that normally guided the ground level streets flickered off a few seconds ago, reacting to an underling burst of otherwise undetectable chakra – it really was a delicate art involved in interfering with these things.

The man winding through the streets was proud of this. Unfortunately, he could only do so much without arousing suspicion and it wouldn't be long before some patrolling Shinobi caught on to the fact that the lights weren't working. The security in the leaf was extremely tight, it would seem.

So he moved quickly between the building shadows and away from any illuminated patches from non-alley street lights. This was his first foray into the leaf, and he would've gotten lost if it hadn't been for the fact that his destination was clear as day. The Hokage's mansion stood proud, and drew him in like a beacon. Who could miss that – every Kage run village had one.

He had a feeling that this mission was going to get him killed, but he slipped in past the security nets anyway, moving out of the shadows once he could not enter without being seen. The sun was an hour away, so very few people were here anyway. He'd assumed the form of a Shinobi he'd spotted fifteen minutes ago, heading home after a late night it would seem.

The Hokage was asleep on her desk…

Shizune was a competent medic, and a sucker for the rules, but when she felt the unusual, but minute chakra surge nearby and discovered that Lady Tsunade had fallen asleep, again, she let it go. She pulled up a chair, next to the Hokage's desk and looked over the files still waiting to be organised. If she did a few of them, it wouldn't hurt, right? Tsunade was never very consistent with her paperwork, but since Sakura's capture, the blonde had actually been pushing herself into it, perhaps in an attempt at distraction. The bottles of Sake she'd been sneaking in here seemed to help too.

So Shizune set about separating the documents into discernible piles, in an attempt at her own distraction. The small lights provided for after-hours work always gave her a headache, but it couldn't be helped. She created three piles: one for the top priority files, to be signed by the Hokage only, one for miscellaneous reports, that could wait, and another for things not worthy of anyone's attention, let alone the Hokage. That last batch was just simple things like renovations that the council or elders could handle – though she knew the elders would just push it onto someone else anyway.

But there was one report that drew her attention, and it was definitely going in the 'Hokage only' pile. It was about Sasuke Uchiha. He hadn't been able to put off his return to Otogakure and had since left Konoha. Shizune was privy to the details of his mission and as such, surprised that Orochimaru had even let him return to the leaf to search for Sakura in the first place. That creepy, snake loving Sannin was almost as unpredictable as Naruto Uzumaki. She tapped the document thoughtfully; so lost in her reflections was she that Shizune hadn't noticed her Hokage was waking up.

"Shizune?"

The brunette jumped out of her seat, startled. "M-my lady…"

"Uh, what time is it?"

Shizune checked the clock, but decided the best approach to not angering her was to remain silent. "Um…"

"Eh?" Tsunade swivelled in her chair, wiping her mouth as she looked over at the time. "I slept for… an hour."

Her attendant sighed. "You're overworking yourself Lady Tsunade."

"Hm, did you send my reply to Suna?"

"The messenger hawk has already left milady," she said, bowing slightly to her Hokage.

"Good. I want…"

"Lady Tsunade?" Shizune asked, once her friend didn't continue. "What's wrong?"

Tsunade jumped to her feet, suddenly wide awake, and ran at her friend. "Shizune, get _down_!"

The window behind the Hokage's desk shattered and the two women tumbled out of the way. Shizune had a vague memory of a strange chakra earlier and mentally berated herself, climbing quickly to her feet.

"Get back milady," Shizune said, pulling a kunai. Like all her weapons, it was imbued with poison, and she moved to stand in front of her Hokage.

The figure that stepped through the broken window startled her, but a moment later, she realised it was just a henge – and a poor one at that, considering how well she knew the real Shinobi this ninja was impersonating.

"You're not fooling anyone," Shizune growled. "Drop the illusion and fight me properly."

The fake Sharingan disappeared as the intruder silently dropped the henge. Tsunade let out an undignified snort. "A definite downgrade where appearances are concerned."

The man didn't respond to Tsunade's goading, just lifting his head in her direction. "You won't avoid this next attack."

He opened his mouth wider, shooting senbon out and startling Shizune, who counterattacked mechanically. She considered herself level-headed and logical, and the fact that this Shinobi was using an attack that she was well-known for was not lost on her. But were the senbon poisoned? She didn't have all her weapons with her – and quite often, she felt naked without her Wrist-Mounted Senbon Launcher ‒ but she had a few basics.

Faster than she could follow (and reminding her heavily of Kakashi's speed when doing ninjutsu), the intruder formed a long string of signs and disappeared. She looked around, realising his chakra was masked, and then closed her eyes, trying to detect him this way. She forced her breathing heavy, all her senses on alert, and then spun around an instant later, her eyes snapping open as she blocked a barrage of senbon.

"Very good."

The gruff voice of her lady's assailant preceded what looked like a mist based jutsu. The room shook, the dust from what looked but didn't sound like an earthquake now obscuring her vision. It had to be some kind of genjutsu.

"Kai!"

Scrap that idea.

Shizune could see her Hokage, and instinctively moved closer to her as the chakra of their assailant now spiked, like he was just toying with them. But if this was indeed an assassin sent for her lady, they didn't seem to be taking their mission seriously.

"Lady‒" Shizune was cut off by another barrage of senbon, the attack forcing her to shut her mouth; she opened it again, returning the attack back in the direction of her unseen opponent. Something dropped to the floor heavily, and she glanced back at Tsunade, who was looking perplexed.

Before she could react, Shizune felt a bolt of pain surge through her body. Something had hit her, and in the cloud of dust, she couldn't see what it was. Her hands went low, gripping her abdomen and clutching at the thick, warm substance she vaguely realised was her own blood before slamming into the wall behind her. Now coming into view, her assailant didn't finish her off however, acknowledging that she was out of his way as he stalked toward her Hokage.

Everything went black and she slid heavily to the floor.

"Shizune!" Tsunade's scream echoed in the small room and she braced herself, peering through the façade in front of her. Her opponent was incredibly skilled, she'd give him that, but he wasn't going to find her easy to take down either.

But as the attack came from her, something else entirely hit Tsunade. She was knocked aside rather violently; the leaf ANBU who had appeared out of nowhere stumbled, his body riddled with senbon as he fought the fatigue. Whatever was in those senbon was definitely a kind of poison, but he was bleeding more than anything. He fell to his knees, trying not to pass out, and managed to jump back up quickly, not giving himself the opportunity to regain his equilibrium before darting in front of his Hokage again.

Now, Tsunade didn't need help in battle. Hell, she'd killed more enemy Shinobi than this particular ANBU, but this opponent had a massive array of jutsu that was clouding her vision. If they were out in the open, she'd use her chakra enhanced strength, but couldn't in this confined place ‒ especially when her opponent was good at hiding very close to her.

He'd clearly been picked specifically for her.

'_And Shizune,'_ she thought, worried about her friend. _'One problem at a time.'_

She attempted to draw her attacker away from the leaf ANBU, but at the same time as her subordinate fell heavily to the floor, Tsunade ducked just in time to avoid the same blow that had brought Shizune to her knees. He was fast, but apparently, she was faster. She used that to her advantage, keeping out of range of his attacks and trying to lure him out of her office. They were standing at the window when he came up behind her, forcing her to parry his attack and step back into the building.

'_Shit.'_

She glared at him. "Why are you doing this?"

"Densetsu no Sannin," he whispered.

Three Legendary Shinobi? It was the title given to her, Jiraiya and Orochimaru, by Hanzō all those years ago. What did that have to do with anything? Her opponent was pissing her off. But before she could retaliate, her attacker disappeared again. But he hadn't run away – he'd run into the real version of his illusion. The dark shadow descended on him and she could see him tearing into the would-be assassin, the show off. She coughed meaningfully once the assassin was on the ground, and the Uchiha turned to face her.

The three prongs of the familiar red and black tomoe spun, and she just shook her head, pretending not to be impressed. But he'd come to her aid, and if it had been any Uchiha other than him, she'd worry about the resolve behind that smug look on his face.

"I had it under control," she muttered, and he smirked. "But thanks."

He held out a hand to help her up. "Lady Tsunade."

She accepted his hand as the dust finally cleared. Like sunbeams catching early morning dust, the aftermath of the attack was deceptively mesmerising. She gazed at it for a moment before turning to survey the damage. The would-be assassin was dead, his body intact thanks to her Uchiha rescuer – had to have been Tsukuyomi.

"He's not dead," Itachi corrected her silent conclusion. "Not quite."

"Get him to the Interrogation core now."

"Yes, milady."

Tsunade ignored the sounds of the Uchiha heir flickering out with his captive, now kneeling before the body of her assistant. Shizune wasn't moving. Tsunade did what she could to heal her, feeling that the extent of the damage was too much for a single healing session. She stabilised her as more medics and ANBU arrived to take care of the one who had come to her aid, her eyes drifting over the floor before landing on something peculiar. It was a Shinobi headband.

What the hell?

Ignoring her subordinates, the Hokage picked up the torn hitai-ate, and fingered the symbol, suddenly and inexplicably calm. It bore the insignia of Iwagakure.

… …

… …

If he closed his eyes, he could see it through his kekkei genkai: under the rising sun, the sand churned, travelling with the wind. He wasn't controlling it this time, merely watching as it reached its apogee, roaring like some demonic beast and then slamming back into the ground, only to repeat the process once more. This was his element.

But Gaara's intent this time wasn't mere observation; he was looking for something. The desert that surrounded Sunagakure (Kaze No Kuni) was an open book to him. Behind the genjutsu that hid his home, it would take an exceptionally powerful ninja to break through it, or a genjutsu master to see through it. Nothing was ever fool proof, and this was just another example of that.

Gaara mused on the council then – they had varying degrees of faith in the jutsu.

The council was becoming more and more dispirited. Gaara didn't care. He only cared that they were no longer an impediment to his goals. They'd agreed to have Yashamaru, along with Kokoro Shimizu (his trainee medic), look over the Kazekage for now. Gaara felt like he was finally at an impasse with whatever it was he and Sakura had, and he feared the nagging voice in the back of his head that told him everything was going _too_ well.

Good news always made him suspicious.

The idea of a treaty with Konoha felt too strange, and the bitterness that had built between them could not be so easily rectified. He worried what it meant for Sakura, whether or not the council would try something behind the scenes like the last time they felt the _urge_ to switch alliances, and how long any of it would last. In the end, they always went running back to Iwa, and the thought of capitulating to those idiots made his blood boil.

And then there was the matter of his father. Who had poisoned him, _how_ had they gotten so close without anyone noticing, and (other than the obvious) _why_? Sakura's letters, which Gaara still hadn't admitted reading, to her, proved she was suspicious about it. The attempt on Arō wasn't textbook – hell, it wasn't even remotely like anything he'd heard of before, not to say he knew of every attempt on every leader in the known world.

And it was with that thought that Gaara found what he'd been searching through the desert for, with his kekkei genkai.

An intruder.

There was no approaching chakra to precede the strange foreboding. He jerked his head around quickly though, having finally realised the intruder was closer than he'd thought. They stopped once he noticed them, and in the dark, he couldn't make out their features. But they stared each other down and Gaara lifted his nose, sniffing the air as his would-be assassin drifted back into the shadows and toward the desert (as though he'd never been there to begin with).

This was a familiar scent: it reeked of blood, venom, and body fluid, with an aftertaste of something sylvan seeping into his senses. He growled.

'_Orochimaru.'_

He wanted to rage, to chase the man down, and demand answers, but knew that ultimately, the Sannin was impossible to track, even for him, and even in the desert. He'd clearly been looking for an easy kill, like the last time they'd crossed paths, retreating the moment Gaara had noticed him. And unfortunately, there was nothing to be done about him this time. It had definitely been Orochimaru's lackey that had gotten the leaf team into Suna – the pieces of that puzzle were clear now ‒ and somehow, the snake had a way to the perimeter of the sand without alerting the guards.

Captain Yura had infiltrated Konoha based on intelligence gathered via a civilian, and Gaara worried now, how Orochimaru had gathered a similar ability. And then there was the obvious: if he was allied with Konoha, why had he come here without intent to recover Sakura Haruno?

Sighing impatiently, Gaara shifted his sand, teleporting back to his room as he worried he might be running late. He looked up at the clock to make sure and was relieved – it was almost time, and he needed to get ready.

… …

… …

There were no sounds as she packed. It was going to be her first foray outside of the Kazekage's home that didn't include her rummaging around in a lab or the gardens where Suna grew the herbs they used in medicine and who knew what else. She was excited, and not just because Temari had promised they could go shopping and she'd be able to pick out her own clothes – it would be nice to finally be able to wear something someone didn't "guess" would fit her. She was also excited because of the much friendlier reception she was getting with people in general.

She wasn't the social butterfly that Ino boasted to be, but she was still the kind of girl who craved human interaction to the point of intoxication. Interacting with people back in Konoha had come as easily as breathing, and she couldn't wait to walk down the streets of Suna and watch children play, teenagers giggle over the latest fad and the afternoon coffee junkies that every village had at your local café.

It was so surreal, after being cooped up for so long, that she was finally going to be able to experience something more _normal_.

But she was also starting to get annoyed.

Sakura shoved the bag aside, groaning impatiently as the eldest Sabaku sibling laughed at her.

"Calm down," Temari said. "He'll be here soon."

"I know, I know; I just want this over with."

"It is an auspicious day," Kankuro said, trying to sound smart.

Temari just chuckled.

"Come on," Sakura said heavily. "Where are you‒?"

"Don't rush the man," Kankuro said. "He's gotta look good for your first date."

"It's not a date," Temari reminded him, as Sakura turned a distinct shade of pink, "since we'll be going along as well."

"I know," he sung happily.

Temari had to hand it to him – he was doing well with the whole "Sakura likes Gaara" thing. She made a mental note to buy something special for the puppet master while they were out.

"I still can't get over how Gaara just told those arses to shut the fu‒"

"They had it coming," Gaara said, startling him. In his reverie, Kankuro hadn't heard him come in. But the Kaze-heika didn't spare his brother another glance, now moving toward Sakura. Without a word, he took her hand in his, smiled slightly at the blush lining her cheeks, and led the way out of the room. He wanted all of Suna to see him holding her because, no matter what, no-one was taking her away from him.

Sakura was incredibly nervous. She wanted this out of the way (protracted agony wasn't her thing) but suddenly giddy as the Kaze-heika teleported her out ‒ his siblings close behind, clearly used to following him in this fashion. They landed near a small market and immediately, the change in atmosphere was apparent, with Kankuro and Temari following close behind. She had the chance to shop for the first time in months, and eventually, Temari took over, dragging them all over the place. There were few shops the oldest sand sibling hadn't visited before and they all knew and loved her well.

Sakura was grateful that any hateful eyes that followed her were never brave enough to come storming up to her. Most people it seemed, were just curious – it was going better than she'd expected. So she just let her inhibitions go, enjoying herself like she deserved. The thoughts of breaking herself out of Suna were gone, as were the worries over Arō, and what was going to happen now with Gaara. Said redhead remained quiet most of the time, just watching her as she poured over the shops, asking Temari repeatedly if she was sure it was okay to use her discounts and Gaara's money to get her knick-knacks instead of essentials, and then modelling. She had a fascination for lighter coloured clothes, he noted.

Lunch came too quickly, but Sakura got to spend an hour alone with Gaara in what Temari and Kankuro were dubbing their "special place". It was a parterre, in the middle of which was a small pond. She was supposed to be eating (a secluded picnic, as it were), but all Sakura did was make out with him. It seemed she'd let down more than just her inhibitions when they finally came up for air.

"I can't get over the fact that it's only been two months," she said, falling back against him as Gaara inspected their food with his sand – he was too lazy right now and the feel of Sakura on his chest made him never want to move again.

"Hm."

"I still feel scared," she admitted.

"You're with me," he said, as though that was all she needed to feel safe.

And it was, it really was. So she just enjoyed the feeling of his arm around her as he decided if she wasn't going to feed herself, then he would have to do it. But like all good things, it had to come to an end. Sakura was just wondering whether or not Gaara's siblings were ever coming back when they did.

"You two look cosy."

"Shut it Kankuro."

"I'm just saying‒"

Gaara growled. "I agree, shut it."

Sakura giggled and immediately, Gaara shifted, wrapping his arm tighter around her waist. "He's smirking, isn't he?" She asked Temari, who grinned back.

Gaara just shook his head. "I don't smirk."

Kankuro smirked at this. "He doesn't smirk."

She couldn't tell if they were serious or not.

"Alright," Temari said. "Sorry lovebirds, but we promised the council Sakura would return like, _now_." She continued to grin however, as Gaara helped the pinkette up. "Let's get you back to Gaara's room, shall we?"

Her handmaid, Reika, was waiting for them when they arrived. She glanced nervously at Temari and Kankuro, warily at Gaara, and then bowed to Sakura. "Minna-san, the council requires your presence in their hall."

"Will you‒"

"Yes, of course," Reika readily agreed to take the bags Sakura and Temari were holding onto – anything to get away from Gaara. She hastily left.

There were twelve council members – two of which were female – and an otherwise empty room waiting for them when they arrived. Gaara noted that the guards were absent, which meant that the matter they were about to discuss was a delicate one. And it clearly had _something_ to do with Sakura, or else she wouldn't have been invited. He bowed out of habit, and once the formalities were out of the way, his assumptions were proven correct.

"As you already know Kaze-heika," Councillor Aruma said, "we have attempted to seek an alliance with the Lady Hokage. As Miss Haruno knows Tsunade Senju very well, we wished her to be here, as we are expecting a reply any minute now."

Sakura shifted, swallowing heavily as Temari placed a hand on her shoulder. Kankuro remained uncharacteristically sullen.

"What did you offer them?" Gaara asked, not hiding the annoyance in his voice as he clenched his fists. They should have discussed this with the Kazekage first – or at least, when his father woke up. This unilateral decision was out of line, but he didn't need to say this for them to understand he was angry with them.

"Nothing," Councillor Satsumi said, appeasing him. "We merely inquired as to whether or not a treaty with the leaf would be feasible."

Some of his anger evaporated, but he was still annoyed with them. They waited in uncomfortable silence, and immediately, Gaara's eyes went to Sakura, trying to gauge her reaction. She looked nervous but not worried, smothered but not overwhelmed, and on the verge of breaking every inch of this hallway – all rolled into one. It was interesting to see. But he was wary, and he just knew that the bad feeling he'd been getting since sensing Orochimaru near the entrance to Suna was coming to fruition. This newest development left a bad taste in his mouth.

Five minutes after the councils' announcement, an ANBU appeared directly in front of the council and bowed respectfully. "Here is the reply to your communiqué to her Lady Hokage," he said.

"Capon," Councillor Satsumi said, "hand it over."

The only ANBU allowed in the council hall without permission nodded, understanding what she really meant; instead of handing over the scroll in his hand to Gaara or the council, he instead turned to Sakura, holding it out to her. Uncertainly, she accepted the scroll. Given leave to depart, he disappeared, and all eyes fell on the pinkette as she unravelled the now decoded message from Tsunade. Excited, she struggled to hide her nervous trembling, well aware of the silent stares she was receiving.

Scanning the document quickly, she went back over it to double check she'd read it properly. Her first instinct was to look up at Gaara as she relayed the news, but found she couldn't. She was not looking forward to his reaction. Tsunade had one condition, and one condition only in return for agreeing to consider Suna's request for an armistice.

Sakura inhaled deeply, letting it out in one, raggedy breath. "I'm going home."

…

X X X

…

**A/N: I know this chapter raised some more questions (like there wasn't enough anyway), but the next chapter will actually answer some, to some degree, promise. And I keep my promises, thanx very much. Theories, conjectures and the sort are welcome and encouraged. ;)**

**Happy GaaSaku month, and lotsa love! ^_^**

'Minna' means 'everyone' in Japanese, btw. Another words, Reika was addressing 'everyone'.

**R&R.**

A quick poll:

Just for funsies: who do you think would win in a game of shōgi, Gaara or Sakura?


	12. Politics

Had a thought, decided to pursue it… and look, I updated! Lol. ;) I really want to post a new chapter of My Enemy, My Friend at the same time as one of this fic (just a dream I have), but once I get on a roll with this story, it kinda tends to leave everything else in the dust. Soon...

**Anyway, thanks to **LilithiaRW, Jade Eyed, Falynn, JeanyDeiXzz, hyuugahinata247, PLacIDwiCkedNEss, unendingness, IridescentInTheDark, DramaQueen, angrypixels, StarKiss666, Mary Mab, TheNightIsAlmostOver, Arigo, Chyna Fey, Yakame Seika of the Wind, Akatsuki'sBloodyNekoNinja, miikodesu, ArnaKittyPet, Beyond. , Brightly Shining Star, Jossy, Siara, GamerGirl49, exotic lady, kin **and**** anyone else I've forgotten, for reviewing.**

Enjoy! ^_^

…

– Chapter 11 –  
>.:. Politics .:.<p>

…

The building block of successful peace talks was not in the negotiations, or even initial agreement for said armistice. The most basic form of peacemaking was that of language; the understanding of what is being said, familiarity with the terms being used, and constructiveness of the path toward intended goals. Peace building was not a quick duck into a boardroom, signing of papers, shaking of hands and public speeches. It was hard work and an extensively collective effort.

Sakura Haruno had long believed the people who willingly went into that field were insane. It was why, no matter how powerful she got, she would never accept the position of Hokage. She helped run the Konohagakure Hospital, and was, on a daily basis, responsible for the lives of hundreds if not thousands of Shinobi (they were in a war after all). But that was something she'd taken to with the desire to help, behind the scenes or on the battlefield. She could never be comfortable enough to stand on a podium and speak to a large crowd, or sit in a stifling room while elders, Kages, or nobles _bickered_. She preferred the hands on approach–she had no idea how someone like Tsunade could put up with it.

Since her arrival in Sunagakure however, she'd wondered if maybe she should have taken her shishou up on those lessons of political propriety. It would certainly have helped her once it became clear that she was meant to heal the Kazekage. She kept her eyes on the scroll in her hand as everyone in the room fell silent at her declaration. She was terrified of seeing whatever expression was currently on Gaara's face, and knowing once and for all how determined he was going to be for her to stay in Suna. If she didn't go, Tsunade wouldn't sue for peace.

She _had_ to go.

"Sakura?"

Sakura looked up from the scroll, her eyes locking with Gaara's. That stare penetrated her defences and she trembled. It was the cliché "weak at the knees" thing, and she struggled not to let out an exasperated sigh at that thought. But Kankuro was the one who'd spoken–not that she was scared to look at _him_. Gaara's face was... strange. He looked like he was fighting between remaining impassive and looking shocked and incredulous. She wasn't sure how to interpret that.

And then Sakura remembered that her statement had had no context. She inhaled deeply, handing the scroll over to Gaara; she waited patiently, as it took him a full ten seconds to snap out of whatever was going on in his head, and accept the message. His eyes narrowed with every line he read and suddenly, she knew exactly what he was thinking–he wanted to kill _something_. Sakura saw his right hand tremble slightly–strangely enough, the scroll didn't shake with him–and looked around to find that everyone else was still looking at her. They hadn't noticed.

"What does it say?" Kankuro asked stupidly.

"Obviously," Temari snapped, hitting him upside his head, "Lady Hokage wants Sakura back in return for coming to the peace table."

He rubbed his head. "Wow Temari, who'd you get all that from that one line?"

"I'm the brains of this family, you moron."

"Are you calling mum stupid?"

"Enough," Councillor Sakyou snapped. "Kaze-heika, if you would be so kind?"

Gaara looked up at the grumpy old man, who had his hand out, waiting for the scroll. He blinked heavily, and then moved his sand to hand the message from the Hokage to the rectangular table the council always sat at. He wasn't sure how to feel about this, now tearing his eyes away from the council as they took it in turns to read the message, and staring intently at Sakura instead. He wanted to look away from her, to hide his _need_ to scrutinise her so closely, but the desire to study her always won out.

Gaara believed he could read Sakura very well, which wasn't _really_ much of a feat, considering she wore her heart on her sleeve, and saw what he thought was fear, mixed in with the jubilation at the prospect of going home.

The only thing he believed she had to be afraid of was where he was going to hide her so that no-one could take her away from him. For over two months, he'd clung to her (even if only in his head, while he'd been pointedly ignoring her) and he wasn't about to let just let go. No, she wasn't going _anywhere_.

"Kaze-heika?" Councillor Kokome's voice brought him back to reality. "You are aware that your father has once before tried to seek a compromise to halt several campaigns spearheaded by the Senkage, are you not?"

Gaara nodded.

She sighed. "Well, it would seem that Orochimaru has since changed his mind–we were going to wait for the Kazekage to get well and tell him, but this situation has forced our hand."

"What are you talking about?" He asked.

Councillor Homeru spoke up. "He has requested a continuation of those talks."

"You spoke with Orochimaru?" Gaara growled out. "And he demanded an audience?"

"His communiqué made no demand," Homeru corrected the Kaze-heika. "On top of reopening the former talks, he merely inquired to the possibility of an alliance with Otogakure, considering the rumours that Iwa is getting restless with us."

"And he made no mention of Konoha?" Kankuro asked, scoffing. "Why am I not surprised?"

"The snake is not to be trusted," Gaara said softly, though no-one in the room had to strain to hear him.

"We do not disagree with you," Councillor Isamu said–ever the politician that one, more so than all the rest. Still, at least he made the attempt to be polite.

Temari rolled her eyes at the old man (the only one with odd hair, the best way she could describe it was vibrantly ginger... _excessively_ so). "Then how did you reply to his inquiry?"

Isamu frowned at her. "We have not done so yet–this is a matter for the Kage as, no matter what we think of him, Lord Orochimaru _is_ the Senkage. Once Lord Arō is on his feet again, then the issue can be discussed."

"You'll be waiting a long time," Gaara said, his voice even and suddenly emotionless.

Sakura felt her palms sweat nervously, and she realised suddenly what he was about to say.

"What do you mean?" Isamu asked.

Sakura's throat constricted as she debated whether or not to interrupt, but Gaara had gone eerily cold and she was terrified at the thought of making _any_ noise to distract him.

The Kaze-heika lifted his head imperiously, as though he was one of the nobles he hated so much. "My father is not ailing from some disease."

"Gaara," Kankuro groaned, gritting his teeth at the same time.

Gaara didn't give the council members pause to wonder at his meaning. "There was never any disease–someone poisoned him."

Sakura watched in awe, not sure what made her, Temari and Kankuro decide not to interfere. Perhaps they all believed this was as good a time as any to let this out... all she knew for sure was, while watching and scrutinising the reactions of the council, that not one of them looked apathetic.

"A deliberate attempt at assassination?" Kokome asked. Gaara nodded and she frowned deeply. "Why did we not consider this?"

"The medics all swore it was Ilac-Vesical Disease," Temari said. "It was cleverly hidden–the misdiagnosis is no-one's fault."

"But, young Haruno..." Kokome said, drifting off as she looked at Sakura. The pinkette was suddenly the centre of attention again. "You caught it regardless?"

Sakura nodded.

"Amazing," the woman whistled slightly, thinking that this young woman must be something extraordinary. She knew the rumours, but had not known just how big a difference there was between her skills and that of the Suna medics. "And you have known all this time, Kaze-heika, since her first consultations with our Kazekage?"

Gaara nodded.

"And you did not see fit to inform us?" Councillor Sakyou snapped. "Our own Kazekage was ailing under some assassination attempt and you kept us in the dark?"

"Why did you not tell us, Kaze-heika?" Isamu asked before Gaara could respond to the snarling contempt in Sakyou's voice, attempting to keep this from turning into an argument.

Gaara snarled. "Obviously, for the same reason you neglected to _immediately_ inform either myself or my father of Orochimaru's communiqué–we do not trust each other."

Councillor Satsumi nodded her agreement, feeling like they would have found the culprit by now if both parties had just been honest about what was going on. "Then our next course of action is clear: no more lying. We will tell you all that we know, and young Kaze-heika, you will do the same."

He nodded in return. It was, he supposed, the most logical step in this discussion. He just wanted this conversation over, the next stage started, and some alone time to speak with Sakura about the Hokage's demand. It _was_ a demand... there was no sugar coating that. He needed to figure out how to keep Sakura in Suna, and still have Konoha willing to talk. Iwa was _definitely_ slipping through their fingers.

He shouldn't be surprised.

"We will require your help," Kokome was addressing Sakura when Gaara zoned back into the conversation.

Sakyou grunted. "What say you, Kunoichi?"

"For the love of Kami," Kankuro snapped, before Gaara could. "Her name is _Sakura_!"

Sakura gripped the hem of her sleeve; she hadn't had time to change after her "date" with Gaara, so she currently looked like a harmless civilian in her Sunday dress. But she was thinking about those times Gaara had told her that the council wanted to torture her–as a ninja, it was something she'd prepared for, and yet, as a ninja, it was also something she had to overlook right now. There was no denying in her head, that she was going to help them; she just liked the looks of concern on their faces that she might throw them to the wolves, regardless of her own safety in the process.

And now the moment had passed.

Sakura nodded. "Of course."

"But the Kazekage–" Councillor Rikuto started.

"Now that we know he has been targeted," Kokome interrupted. "We should assign ANBU to watch over him at all times. If Sakura will be so kind as to show our medics what she has done so far, there should be no need to be concerned for his welfare."

Sakura smiled. "And then I can go home..."

"It will indeed be on the table," Kokome agreed.

"No," Gaara snapped. "I won't agree to that."

Silence.

All eyes on Gaara, everyone realised suddenly _why_ he'd decided to tell the council about his father.

Temari rolled her eyes. "I swear Gaara, sometimes you can be such a child."

"In order to be the next Kazekage," Kokome said gently. "You must work _with_ us, Lord Gaara. Think of your village, of the people who swear fealty to you, even if only symbolically. _They_ are the people you should be concerned with, not yourself."

Gaara resisted the urge to roll his eyes. He _knew_ all of this–he'd been training for this for years.

'_Stupid old bats.'_

Sakura watched, biting her bottom lip, as the council spoke to Gaara like he didn't already know what it took to be the Kazekage. While she agreed with them that he shouldn't be putting his own needs first, it was quite exhilarating to hear him so possessively demand that she stay in Suna. She wasn't going to listen to him however, intent instead on doing what she needed to do to return to the leaf. But Gaara was acting like they were never going to see each other again–did he _really_ have that little faith in her? Why would she walk away and never want to see him again?

Okay, now she felt insulted.

Gaara continued to chuck his tantrum, and Sakura caught Temari's eye–she and Kankuro were edging out of the room, waving to her to follow them. She remembered them saying that politics bored them, so after bowing respectfully to the politicians in the room (not that they wavered in their growing argument with Gaara long enough to notice she was leaving) and glanced at the redhead with a hint of remorse and longing, before following the elder Sabaku siblings out of the room.

"They'll be at it for a while," Kankuro said pleasantly. "They're always like that."

"You're coming to my room," Temari told the pinkette. "You didn't really have anything with you when you came to Suna–no way am I letting you leave empty handed."

…

What could only be described as sprigs of white leaves flitted about as though they had a mind of their own; there was no wind, and no chakra in the air to indicate a driving force. Nature didn't impress him, and he preferred, if he was going to admire it, that he do so from afar; but it was peaceful, he'd give it that. This however, was downright creepy. Nothing in this place was normal. He would never get used to how quickly the weather could change either, like some malevolent being was looking down over the land of rice fields and just playing havoc with everything. A genjutsu he had no hope of ever breaking through.

Another thing: he was also still trying to acclimatise to the idiosyncrasies of the servants Orochimaru had hired to tend to the shinden-zukuri **[**_*****_**]**. This place and the people here unnerved him. But Sasuke Uchiha hadn't come to Otogakure to make friends. No, he would put up with the invasive servants, as well as the oddly furnished house that the snake thought himself so important to own–a place he'd only seen comparable to that of a daimyo's palace. It wasn't like Sasuke hated the Sannin turned Senkage, just that he didn't particularly like the way he did things.

Everything was over the top; Orochimaru had to have the best of everything, and made a show of it–thankfully nothing so theatrical that Sasuke would have to get drunk to forget all about it. The snake had also tried to get his newest apprentice to "loosen up" by hiring a few local but sanitary concerned whores and sending them into his room when he knew very well the Uchiha was taking a bath.

The ensuing explosion of women screaming as they fled in fear of his forming chakra and Sasuke cussing under his breath dangerously, had Orochimaru laughing for hours, and Sasuke angry for days.

Like he said: over the top.

Sasuke had gotten enough of practical jokes during his sporadic friendship with Naruto.

He groaned, looking up at the strangely overcast sky as he left the training dojo, half limping toward his personal quarters. He liked that the air had somewhat cleared on ground level, which gave him a gentle breeze that was better than harsh sun or severe winds; his wounds certainly appreciated it. Sasuke ambled into his temporary home, closing the shoji door behind him, kicking off his sandals, and made directly for the bathroom. It wasn't like he kept his clothes in there, but he did leave spare ones for when he came back from training without the desire to further torment his body by rummaging through his closet for something to wear.

It was just easier this way.

Leaving the door open, Sasuke pulled off his bloodied shirt, and was tugging off the rest of his clothes when a new jolt of pain shot through his body. He reached out on instinct, grasping the edge of the towel rack behind him for support, and closed his eyes as the stinging sensation ripped through him again. He ground his teeth out, not willing to cry out as his body shuddered. He'd been overdoing it again of course, and using his Sharingan consistently for so long was draining.

'_Stupid Orochimaru and his perseverance.'_

Training with the Sannin was getting easier, but the pain wouldn't go away. He stepped into his shower, scrubbed away the dirt, sweat and blood, his mind now far away from his training. Sakura had occupied his thoughts from the moment he'd heard about her disappearance, and it still burned him that he'd had to return to Otogakure. But Sasuke had worked a promise out of Orochimaru for a month and that time had been completely wasted. There was no more sneaking into Suna, no storming the stupid village... and the last Orochimaru had heard, Tsunade was looking into the political angle. It wasn't exactly public knowledge that the Suna-Iwa alliance was falling apart, but Sasuke was determined to keep on top of what was happening, no matter what.

He wasn't very political minded, but he got the gist–Iwa was pissed off that Suna had brought in a Konoha medic, and also that the council had decided not to torture her. He snorted at that last notion, some of the shower water spraying back into his face as he did. Like _not_ torturing a prisoner of war was an excuse to violate a delicate treaty.

The idiots.

A moment later, Sasuke's mind went blank. He shuddered again, refraining from continuing to clean himself as his body decided again to jerk in pain. After a few minutes, he was able to readjust the water pressure, increasing the hot water to almost scalding–it was all he could do right now in attempt to ease the pain in his muscles. Sasuke closed his eyes. He had no idea what had possessed him to do this. The days here were colder, boring unless he was training or helping Orochimaru out with his research, and he was beginning to wonder _why_ he'd taken the snake up on his request in the first place.

'_My father.'_

His eyes snapped open. Right, Fugaku, the beloved _ruler_ of that magical land that the Uchiha lived in called a fantasy. Growing up, he'd believed every word, that they were above everyone else, deserved more, and everything and everyone was free game, so to speak. Itachi, being the only voice of reason in those family discussions, had segregated himself from their father more times than Sasuke could count. But when _he_ wanted to leave the Uchiha compound (seeing it as the first step toward his own goals, outside the family indoctrination), Itachi had willingly fallen back into place.

Sasuke felt guilty about that, but his brother refused to give him reason to rescind his decision, leaving him with nothing to do but continue to plan for the future he was hoping to have with Sakura. And then that had all gone to hell when Orochimaru approached Fugaku with an innovation that fed directly into the Uchiha lust for power.

Despite his initial reservations, Sasuke found himself surprisingly eager to be a part of it when he was asked to accompany the Senkage. He couldn't possibly have seen the illusion for what it really was, at the time.

But he wasn't complaining–it was ultimately still a brilliant idea. He just hadn't realised until his ensuing argument with Itachi was over, and he'd already gone to Otogakure, that the man who'd helped conceive him but never raise him, was just getting his youngest son out of the way. So this project with Orochimaru-sama was a make it or break it deal with Sasuke; despite everything, he really _did_ just want his father's respect.

With this thought as a reminder, Sasuke managed to relax enough to enjoy the rest of his shower–almost like it was a bath. He'd last bathed high, out of the way of the rest of the shinden-zukuri–the location of his own personal onsen meant that he'd never have to worry about privacy. After that incident with the whores, it was the least Orochimaru could give him. But he didn't care for that right now.

Realising the water had finally gotten cold, Sasuke turned it off, dried himself, dressed and left the bathroom. Sleep was calling him, and he crawled into bed, feeling better with the soft duvet underneath him as he attempted to drift off. The sound of grasshoppers startled and Sasuke sat up quickly. He looked over at the alarm clock, realising he'd fallen asleep four hours ago. It felt weird not to remember falling asleep–that had never happened to him before.

Sighing, he decided to go for a walk, and ended up in the southern courtyard; amidst the taller trees, it was also the entrance to Orochimaru's underground complex. It was always odd to Sasuke, that the Senkage would have his shinden-zukuri built over top of the research lab–for lack of a better term–but he supposed it made it easier for him to keep a closer eye on the security here.

"Young Sasuke..."

Sasuke glanced over his shoulder, noting the Sannin had just exited the tool shed that doubled as an entrance to the lab.

'_And he's an idiot if he doesn't see how creepy that is.'_

"Orochimaru," Sasuke said in return, out of mere propriety.

"You are still concerned about Miss Haruno."

"Hn."

"Lady Hokage has that matter under hand, I believe. You should have more faith in Tsunade."

Sasuke didn't respond, now staring, uncaring, at the empty koi pond in front of him; he leant against a tree for support, not really wanting to do anything but stay quiet. But he knew the snake better than that–the man had an insatiable thirst for pushing a subject.

"Your assignment here isn't permanent," Orochimaru reminded him. "And if you wish to have someone replace you–"

"I _have_ to do this," Sasuke interrupted, closing his eyes. He supposed it wasn't just his father–he needed to prove he didn't need protection, to Itachi... and to himself.

"I only think–"

"You are tired of having me here?"

"You are a delight to work with, Sasuke," Orochimaru assured him; the Uchiha grunted and then shunshined away.

"He's growing complacent about whether or not to trust you."

Orochimaru, much like Sasuke had just done, glanced over his shoulder at the newcomer.

Kabuto Yakushi was grinning slightly, if that was the right description, obviously amused by the conversation he'd just overheard. He was as strange one–one that Orochimaru didn't completely trust, but could never regret recruiting.

Kabuto had defected from Konoha two years ago; he was branded a traitor, even though his actions prior to that had been carried out under the orders of Danzou Shimura. He held no love for that place or those people, and though he didn't know where he was from, he knew where he belonged, and that was right next to Orochimaru. His time as his spy had served him well, and fortunately, his face was not all that well known, despite everything. But he _did_ have to be careful about showing his face outside of these walls anyway; he had the means to blend in, as any Shinobi worth his salt could did, but that didn't remove the risk.

In a way, he supposed, he lived under Orochimaru's protection from "the outside world".

Kabuto stared at the spot where Sasuke Uchiha had disappeared from, thinking. That boy was just a child really, given he was too stupid to see what was really going on here–and Itachi had called him a prodigy! So whatever happened to Sasuke due to his complacency, Kabuto had no sympathy for him.

"You're getting careless Kabuto," Orochimaru scolded him. "Sasuke almost detected your presence this time."

Kabuto inwardly cursed at that. "I'm sorry my lord–I'll keep my distance next time."

"As you should–it would not do well for my prized pupil to discover I house a known criminal."

His tone was teasing, but Kabuto recognised the underlining threat. He bowed slightly. "Of course; as Senkage, you must keep appearances, even within your own ranks."

"Yes, the loss of Sasuke's powers due to your untimely bumbling would be most unfortunate."

Kabuto baulked. "My lord–"

"Still, you _are_ loyal," Orochimaru granted. "So I suppose I'll let it go this time. If the Uchiha were to discover why I really wanted him here, I shudder to think what he'd do to you."

'_Me?'_ Kabuto asked himself. Of course, Sasuke wouldn't be able to defeat Orochimaru, but why would he attack _him_? He didn't even know he was here!

"Of course," he said, instead of voicing his confusion. "He's not ready to know what you're really doing here."

"Kabuto, your penchant for stating the obvious is beginning to grate on my nerves."

"S-sorry."

Orochimaru chuckled. "And what news from our Iwa friend?"

"There have been no sightings of the target thus far–he believes the man to be either dead or underground."

"Or both, I suppose."

"Hm."

"Well then, I suppose it's time to switch targets, for now."

Kabuto returned his gaze to the spot where Sasuke had been standing prior to teleporting out of the room. "And there was another thing: one word."

"One word?"

"Akatsuki," Kabuto said, frowning. "He said that was who was responsible."

"Indeed."

The medical ninja was surprised. "You've heard that name before?"

"A long time ago; back before I became Senkage. But they were just a small punk group that Jiraiya knew. I've been waiting for them to resurface."

"Should we be concerned?"

Orochimaru smiled, his tongue slithering over his lips as his mind went to Sasuke. "We'll soon find out."

…

The shift in the air was so strong, so sudden, and so overwhelming. Sakura had never been very good at politics. She'd never stood next to her Hokage during meetings with the Senkage, or any important ally–daimyo or not. And she'd never understood the need for posturing. So the air was stifling, and her mind was wandering toward her imminent departure from Suna. Once the paperwork was ready on this end, and messenger hawks delivered the specifics, she was good to go.

Still... she lamented on it.

Sakura shifted her weight slightly, glad that this time, she'd been allowed to sit down. The council prattled on, Gaara grunted at them, and occasionally, someone asked Sakura about Konoha regulations regarding this, that and whatever.

Every term in their deliberations was questioned, disputed, drawn out for clarification, and then argued over again. If they weren't all working toward the same goal, Sakura would've accused them of deliberately aggravating the situation. But that was a council for you–ninja or not, they all bickered beyond the range of even their Kage. She didn't envy her shishou at all, or any of the Kages really.

And then there was the issue of the Kazekage. Sakura felt suddenly alert–finally, something she _really_ cared about. The council argued that, given this was an assassination attempt, and an ongoing one, that the inclusion of medical resources into their temporary agreement with the Hokage should take precedence. Damn... their propositions were _boring_. She looked for the opportunity, and seizing it, she hid her gleeful smile... and yawned.

"I promise I will look over it," she said, once they asked her to go through the treatment for Arō, in writing. "But if you'll forgive me, I need to check on my patient; my continued presence would do these proceedings little good anyway."

Sakura stood slowly, bowed for good measure, and left the room. Despite the fact that she was no longer a chained prisoner, her movements within the village were still regulated and chaperoned, so she was not surprised by the presence she sensed following her. She sighed.

The home of the Kazekage and his family always reminded Sakura of the Hyuuga or Uchiha Estates back home. There were ground level wings (interconnecting hallways), built around a two storey central structure, called the Kazekage building (the crux of Sunagakure politics). The entire structure is formally called a domicile, and informally a residence. None of the compounds in Konoha belonging to clans had a Kage building of course, and the similarity lay in the one storey hallways–not to mention the gardening and separation of personal residences from the higher security areas.

A mix of Hyuuga compartmentalisation and Uchiha secrecy: that would explain a lot.

Sakura quickly ducked into Arō's room, accepted an impromptu hug from Mia, double and triple checked the sleeping Kazekage's vitals, and left him in the care of the medics watching him closely (there were several ANBU as well, but she pretended not to notice them). And, instead of going back to her room, Sakura took another walk before heading to Gaara's. He'd given her a key, so why not use it? They still hadn't talked about her leaving, so once he was done with the council, she supposed tonight would have to do.

She showered, dressed (she'd spent the night here a few times, and left clothes here, just in case–it was starting to feel like an actual relationship) and then lay back on his bed, closing her eyes; a nap sounded like a good idea. It was over an hour before his return stirred her awake. Gaara glanced at her upon entry and then promptly locked himself in his bathroom.

'_Bloody child.'_

He really was setting a record with this recent tantrum of his. She didn't claim to be perfect herself, but compared to him, she currently smelt like roses. What the hell was he expecting to happen, that her shishou would just bend to his selfish needs? She loved him, but this was getting ridiculous.

"Gaara?" She whispered, when he finally emerged from the bathroom, covered only in a towel, and drying his hair with another one. Her eyes darted over his body, taking in the exquisite form he'd chiselled for himself over the years. He sat down next to her and Sakura realised he wasn't angry anymore. She didn't doubt that he was still trying to figure out how to keep her in Suna, but this change of temperament was nice nonetheless. Still, he ignored her concern, worried only about his hair as he continued to run the towel through it.

Sakura's fingers twitched and she inched her hand toward his leg.

He froze as her hand became more adventurous. "Sakura, stop it."

It was her turn to ignore him. Sakura climbed onto his lap, also ignoring the growl emanating from his mouth, as though trying to warn her without words that she was entering dangerous territory. She thought she knew why he was so reluctant to do this again, what with the council in an uproar and now bickering amongst themselves on some new issue when it came to her.

Gaara had threatened to leave Suna, running away with her and never looking back, thus saving her from being tortured. They wouldn't be able to stop him, and they knew it. And now, after this imminent, temporary alliance had been agreed upon, they bickered and contemplated, not having the nerve to deliberately alienate the Kaze-heika and potentially his long list of admirers, but still pretending he wasn't talking when he refused to agree to letting her go. The light of hope that she now had, the assurance that she was indeed going to live through this experience was overshadowed by a burst of joy and dizzy _need_ for the man now sitting underneath her. She knew he loved her, it had been said, and acted upon; Sakura growled before ravaging his mouth with abandon.

And just as she had, the first time he'd come onto her, he was hesitating. His body screamed for more, but inside, he was worried about the aftermath of this little venture of hers. She'd stabilized Arō's condition and the council was deliberating, but what he feared now was losing her forever. She'd roused on him for thinking she would abandon him, but he couldn't help how he felt. He wasn't used to losing.

Sakura ignored his hesitance, grounding her hips against him, still very well aware that he was merely dressed in a towel. She ran her hands over his chest, brushing his nipples purposefully as she went. He _really_ liked that. She let out a yelp as he lifted her up, spun around, and threw her onto his bed. Gaara ripped his towel off and climbed onto the bed as she moved toward the pillows. She bit her bottom lip, watching the way he came toward her, on all fours, her eyes soaking in the sight.

Gaara slid up her body, his hands divesting her of every bit of cloth, and she wriggled, aiding his desire to see her naked again. His hot breath tickled her skin, trickling warmth down throughout her body. He was making her tremble in between, and during every brush of his hands against her skin. She was still so terrified by the way he affected her, but more so as she anticipated the moment his hands would be put to more constructive tasks. Her body reacted to his touch like a ravenous desert, and he was the water that would finally quench her thirst.

"Sakura," he groaned, having torn her clothes off, now kissing his way up her body.

When his mouth finally found hers, Sakura kissed him hungrily, just giving in to what her body wanted; to what _she_ wanted. Gaara held her possessively, and she bit his lip to make him growl. No matter how much he looked like a human being, he was actually more instinctive than anything else when they did this. Sakura didn't mind. She let him have his way, realising that the childish side of him was doing this to prove to himself that she was still his.

"Nngh!" Sakura half screamed as he entered her without warning. There was no waiting, no drawing this out–he wanted her, and so he took her. All she could do was move with him and hold on for the ride.

…

The ninja that had attacked the Hokage was surprising her more and more. She frowned. He was actually a former Iwa ninja?

Tsunade traced the scratch along the metal of the headband that signified this ninja's estrangement with the Hidden Stone Village. The man now being interrogated by Ibiki Morino half a village away from her office was a rogue ninja, _not_ affiliated with that place. What the _hell_ did this all mean? Was it just some ploy by Iwa or another hidden village to stop her from forming an alliance with the sand? Or was the fact that the scratched insignia on this hitai-ate was from the Hidden Stone Village mere coincidence, and someone entirely different was to blame?

She thought about the man's attacks–he'd definitely been sent for her specifically, his jutsu singularly effective against her type of skills. She'd been at a disadvantage from the onset. She was primarily a short or mid-ranged fighter, and no amount of training in her already established techniques would change that. Sure, she could summon and had an array of ninjutsu that she didn't normally bother falling back on, but the would-be-assassin had cornered her into a confined space, forcing her to use the abilities he could counter easily.

It was impressive.

She wondered with a shudder, how bad it would have gone if Shizune hadn't been there. Itachi had ultimately saved her yes, but only after Shizune had delayed the attacker. "Come in," she said absentmindedly, having detected the Uchiha heir's chakra, and deciding to call him in before he could knock.

Itachi entered as instructed, closed the door. He waited patiently, a foot from her desk, for his Hokage to speak first. Knowing her, he was pretty certain what would be the first thing out of her mouth–given she had no idea why _he_ was here, didn't look remotely curious about it, and was still lamenting miserably on her apprentice.

"Sakura is still in Suna," Tsunade mused out loud, proving Itachi's mental observations correct. "But when their elders there get their act together, I'll be putting together a squad to escort her back here, as the first step toward the peace table."

Itachi glanced at the hitai-ate still in her hand–she was gripping it a little too tightly. "And your first choice for the team is someone like Kakashi Hatake, or Naruto Uzumaki?"

"Normally, yes, but the Kaze-heika is being stubborn–he refuses to agree to anyone who'd been on that failed mission to extract Sakura to participate in this."

That surprised the Uchiha heir. "Don't you mean Kazekage?"

Tsunade shook her head. "That's the part that concerns me: why is Gaara taking the lead on this? Surely inter-country relations is a Kage's responsibility in their eyes as well. Even the Fire Daimyo is referring this to me. First time for everything: he trusts I won't put Sakura before the village, so he's just going along with it." She snorted.

Itachi remained quiet at that declaration. He was no longer in the employ of the Hokage–directly anyway–because of his imminent induction into his clan's council. It was the next step to becoming the clan leader–a position his father wasn't anywhere near ready to give up, mind. He was officially retired from the life of a ninja, but like anyone else, had to do as his Hokage said. If she decided to recall him back to active duty for a temporary assignment (_before_ he took his father's mantle), there was nothing he could do about it. Still, looking at her now, and considering how these meets with her usually went, Itachi did not believe the woman would do that unless every other Sharingan user in the village just up and died.

That would be... a sight to behold.

He felt it necessary to complicate matters by voicing what she was thinking–reminding himself of that weird friend of Sakura's, Sai. "Is that really an excuse to get drunk?"

Tsunade's eyes twitched. Of course he'd noticed the Sake bottle on the floor, under her desk... why could she never fool him? She scoffed, waving her hand around imperiously. "Enough of my woes, to what do I owe the pleasure of your visit, Itachi?"

"I want to talk about my otouto."

She snorted. "Of course you do."

…

A week had passed, and it was now Sakura's last night in Suna–the temporary armistice had finally been signed on both ends, and the message hawks had arrived at their destinations safely. The cool air she knew she was going to miss (because most nights here were balmy, and the Konoha nights didn't feel quite like this) wafted through her open window as she continued to pack. She now had an array of items–mostly clothes, thanks to Temari–to take home with her, as mementos. Looking up at the window as the curtain blew inward, Sakura smiled at it; she liked to believe that Suna was saying goodbye. It was funny, that she had dreaded coming here so much, and now a part of her didn't want to leave. This wasn't the first time this errant thought had crossed her mind, but she paid it equal mind, nonetheless.

She didn't want to leave Gaara.

Sakura felt her eyes moisten at that, a heavy weight pulling on her chest; she lowered her head and wiped at the tears. If she hadn't been here for so long already (two and a half months that felt like _forever_), there might not be a strong enough need to return to Konoha as quickly as she currently wanted to. Yes, she would miss Gaara–intolerably so–but she also missed her friends and family back home. She couldn't have it both ways–being with the future, fifth Kazekage _and_ walking down the streets of Konoha with her friends on a daily basis.

But she _so_ wanted it all.

'_I'm starting to sound like Gaara.'_

Reika, her personal maid, and good friend, sat quietly in a chair by the dresser, looking sullen. The blonde had been like this ever since she found out Sakura would be leaving soon–not one to bring people down, she'd attempted to smile and be happy for her, but the pinkette had seen that look on her face too many times on others to be properly fooled. She appreciated the thought–she was going to miss Reika too.

"Have any plans for the night?" Sakura asked casually.

"No miss."

"Sakura," the pinkette corrected her, for the umpteenth time.

Reika just forced a smile.

"Anyway, I was thinking we could have a girl's night; get sloshed, play dumb games, you know?"

"Would you not rather spend your last night here with the Kaze-heika?"

Sakura looked down at her hands–she'd automatically stopped packing at the mention of Gaara. "He's sulking," she whispered. "_Again_."

"You really are leaving us then?" Reika asked, though she already knew the answer.

Sakura nodded. "Yes."

"I'll miss you."

"I'll miss you too, Reika. But it's not like we'll never see each other again–I fully intend to make sure this alliance works out, so I can come back here without having to be knocked unconscious first." She giggled slightly at that, and then mentally chastised herself for the casual reference to her own abduction.

Reika's smile became more pronounced however. "Of course; I would love to... what will we be doing?"

Sakura was prevented from answering by the familiarly rude sound of another blonde.

"Knock, knock: cover yourself up, because I'm coming in!" Temari called, opening the door to Sakura's room with no warning other than a moment of shrillness. She grinned at Sakura and her handmaiden, paying no attention to their serious faces. "Whatcha doing?"

Reika's eyes immediately went to the floor, and for a moment (except for the blonde hair) she was the spitting image of Hinata Hyuuga–this reminded Sakura of course, that her friend was currently expecting her first child. It was just another reason to hurry back to the leaf.

"I thought you already had everything you needed packed a week ago," Temari said, deciding not to worry about her question anymore.

"I did," Sakura agreed. "But I've been packing and unpacking since then–it keeps me from breaking down."

Temari gave her a sympathetic smile. "Gaara?"

Sakura merely nodded, biting her bottom lip in a vain attempt not to tear up again. Of course it wasn't going to work!

The blonde embraced her as she started sobbing. "Let it all out," she soothed, running her hand over the pinkette's hair.

Sakura couldn't help the emotions rushing through her–they just came out of nowhere, and even though they were understandable, she still felt weirded out by them. She sniffed, trying to push them away, and had to resort to wriggling out of Temari's grip to settle down.

"What the _hell_ is wrong with me?" She asked.

"I've been asking myself that same question for two months."

"Shut up."

Temari chuckled.

Reika shifted nervously. "You can't stay?"

"I could," Sakura said softly. "But it's not worth the risk." She rolled her eyes at the knock on her door. "Another one!"

Temari strode over to the door to let the young woman in. "Kokoro?" She asked, surprised to see her uncle Yashamaru's apprentice in the doorway. "What are you doing here?"

"A slumber party!" Reika exclaimed, before she could stop herself, and then promptly blushed a deep shade of red.

Temari winked at her. "Maybe, if you're lucky."

Reika just blushed.

Sakura wiped away the last of her tears, and waved Kokoro in; she closed the door behind herself. "I had a full body physical," Sakura answered Temari's question, unable to prevent the shudder. It was a necessary evil, the test, to prove to Lady Tsunade that they were taking the whole 'return my apprentice to me as healthy as the day she was born' very seriously. It seemed that every noble and council member (that Sakura had seen) wanted this alliance, _badly_.

"Medics make the worst patients," the eldest Sabaku sibling mumbled, thinking about her uncle–Yashamaru was the worst she'd seen.

'_Unless the patient is Kakashi Hatake,' _Sakura thought, not voicing that particular [fact] due to the fact that no-one in this room would truly appreciate it. But she giggled slightly anyway.

"I have your results," Kokoro said.

"Don't you normally have her come to you?" Temari asked.

The girl nodded. "But Miss Haruno asked me to bring it to her."

"Well, is she dying?"

"Temari!" Sakura slapped her arm, ignoring the teasing grin on her face. "Just tell me I'm healthy," she said to Kokoro. "That's all I need to hear."

Temari just scoffed.

"You _are_ healthy," Kokoro said slowly. "But..."

"But?"

Sakura shot Temari a glare.

Kokoro cleared her throat. "L-lady Sakura?"

"Please, just tell me."

The young woman looked slightly panicked, but smiled nonetheless. "C-congratulations, you're pregnant."

…  
>X X X<br>…

You guys were wondering what Sasuke's been up to–there, now you know. ;P

Nice twist at the end… huh? Even if a MASSIVE cliché. I like taking a cliché and just ripping it into haphazard pieces, you know? Don't want to become unimaginative: makes me shudder just thinking about it. But some things just… happen, you know? Can't say anymore. :) Will say however, that this story is divided into three arcs, and this first arc now has one chapter left–that and "re-read the prologue". I'll explain about that next time. *yawns* It's friggin late, I'm friggin tired. Lotsa love! ^_^

**R&R.**

A quick poll:

Favourite Naruto/Naruto Shippuuden bad guy.

...

**[**_*****_**]** shinden-zukuri: a distinctive style of house built for the aristocracy in Japan (starting around the eleventh century). Looking at a model of a shinden-zukuri makes me think that's where Kishimoto got the inspiration for the Hyuuga houses–the general symmetrical design and long, connecting hallways with the large garden and pond(s). I like them. :)


	13. No Turning Back

Surprise! A 11k+ word LONG chapter present! ;) Happy birthday to anyone whose birthday it is, and a happy un-birthday to everyone else. Lol. In order to get everything I wanted done in this chapter I either had to cut it down and rush it, or make it LONG. Of course, you can guess what I did. That and the next chapter is... well, you'll find out. ^_^ This is the longest chapter yet, but like I said the last time I exceeded my self-imposed word limit, don't get used to it. :) Mean it this time...  
>Also, I really DO want to apologise for the length of this chapter. This is where the story shifts, so I'm VERY nervous about posting this. Please be gently with me. n_n Also, I wanted to say: in Japan, the woman is the one who passes on the family name to the children, but in the Naruto world, the family name stays in the clans, regardless. I'm just going to go ahead and treat the Sabaku family like a clan, k? :)<p>

**Thanks to** kill everything, Caronel, PLacIDwiCkedNEss, Falynn, IridescentInTheDark, miikodesu, Chyna Fey, StarKiss666, cherryvampiress, witchprincess33, ParagonAnna, Allen-holic, drowningsorrows, moodymel, icy-pretear01, DramaQueen, JeanyDeiXzz, Nella -heart, Guest, XBloodMageRikaX, withloveagain, K-Bird Lily 2 **and anyone else I've forgotten, for reviewing.****  
><strong>**PLacIDwiCkedNEss**: I get what you mean about the whole "I'm-not-gonna-tell-the-father-because-of-some-stu pid-excuse..." thing, and I agree. Just please don't kill me for dragging it out a bit. *virtual cookie bribe* I promise, I'm not going cliché on it. I've been planning for this chapter for a long time. :)

This chapter was a pain and a half to write, so I hope you guys appreciate it. :) Enjoy! ^_^

…

– Chapter 12 –  
>.:. No Turning Back .:.<p>

…

For the first time in her life, Sakura Haruno felt like the earth was crushing her instead of the other way around–or her opponent, enemy, or whatever pervert happened to be stupid enough to open their mouth in front of her. She had inhuman strength for a reason: it was meant to be used to destroy and pummel people who piss her off, and NOT on herself.

And of all the ridiculous things to get worried over, her first thought was _'I don't want to have to pee all the time!'_

Then somewhere amongst the chaotic thoughts that spilled into her mind, Sakura found her centre of calm... her mind went blank. Slowly but surely, the logical part of her took over. And of course, that meant that all she cared about right now was that she wouldn't be allowed to train; since having her chakra unblocked, she'd been thinking of at least doing some katas, since it had been months since she'd done anything to keep fit. Her body screamed at her every day to do _something_ physical. Technically, pregnant women could still remain physically active, but the high level training she was used to (and was looking forward to returning to) was on a whole other level when compared to the likes of weight training or jogging around Konoha's boundaries.

Pregnant...

Sakura bit her bottom lip, trying in vain to stop the flow of tears. She was _pregnant_! She was _pregnant_! Oh god! She was… she felt like throwing up. She was so stupid; so idiotic, so brainless, and so very, very _thick_! How could she have not been more careful? There was a jutsu for this kind of thing, for fuck sake!

'_Stupid, stupid, stupid!'_

The last time she'd performed the birth control jutsu was the night before Sasuke had left Konoha for his current mission in Otogakure. She hadn't thought of it since, as she hadn't wanted to sleep with anyone else. But the raven haired man had decided they were better off taking some time apart, to take a break as it were. She had been devastated, as the thought of being away from him for months on end was bad enough.

'_Okay, focus.'_

Sakura looked up, realising she'd been quiet for a while. Her eyes went to Temari, and the blonde smiled at her. Reika's eyes were wide and her mouth slightly agape. Kokoro looked torn between those nurses that give good news, not understanding the patient didn't see it that way, and pity for the devastated look on Sakura's face.

Not good.

Sakura's stomach churned, her hand flew to her mouth and she gasped out, "oh Kami," before darting toward the bathroom.

Temari reached for her instinctively, missing by inches before the door closely heavily behind the pinkette. After a full minute, there was still no sobbing, no retching, and no cussing coming from the other side of the door, so she wondered what she was actually doing in there. In fact, nobody said or did a thing. A few minutes later, Temari let out a long winded sigh in frustration. This seemed to break the ice, somewhat.

"You're going to be an aunt," Kokoro told her.

The words sunk into Temari's head, trickling down her body like someone had spilled tequila over her head and her face broke out in a cheesy grin. "Yeah, I am..."

"The Kaze-heika is going to go crazy over this," Reika said, her eyes on the door.

Temari groaned. "He's going to be a _pain_."

Kokoro giggled, and the room filled with her laughter. "I can't wait to see that."

Sitting on the closed lid of the toilet, Sakura glanced up at the door at the sound of the laugh. It made her frown and annoyed–at them and herself.

It wasn't like she'd thought she might go back to Konoha and forget all about Gaara–Sakura had been planning her life out since she first fell in love with Sasuke, taking _every_ precaution to not fall off track–but this was a complication she didn't need. After throwing up for a few minutes, she'd decided to sit down before heading back out into her chambers. It was so surreal, falling in love (with a touch of serendipity) and having to leave Gaara behind, but this...

'_Why me Kami_?_'_

It was a moot point now. She would never be able to do any of the things she'd planned to do. Marrying and having children had always been on her mind as a _long_ term goal: this was too soon.

"Sakura?"

She jumped to her feet as Temari whispered through the door, strode over to it and flung it open. "I'm okay," she rasped, and stormed over to her bed, falling onto her stomach.

"Geez, not you too! Gaara's a child enough for the both of you, don't you think?"

"Mm hm." Sakura smothered herself with a pillow. "I don't want this."

Temari climbed onto the bed and rolled the pinkette over. "Too bad, it's happening. Look Sakura, I know you didn't plan this, but you can't avoid it. Please, just don't let this ruin your last night in Suna, okay?"

Sakura groaned and sat up.

"I wouldn't be surprised if this blows up in your face though," Temari added. "I hope you don't get morning sickness."

"Th-thanks."

"My mother had morning sickness day and night with me and Kankuro," the blonde continued, "but not with Gaara, apparently. She got lucky with him." She grinned at the pinkette. "But not the way _you_ did, huh?"

"Shut up."

The pinkette ran her hands through her hair (ignoring the renewed bouts of laughter from everyone but herself), realising suddenly that it needed cutting again. She didn't want to return to the long hair, or even semi-long. It only ever got in the way after all. She needed to take a step back and deal with this situation herself for a while–it was still early days, after all. Given the timeline, she couldn't be any more than six weeks in, which was wasn't long, really. It was too early–she only knew because of that damned full body physical. She had time.

'_Yeah, keep telling yourself that.'_

"I can't wait to see the look on Gaara's face," Temari was saying, and Sakura realised she'd unconsciously blocked out the conversation going on around her.

"Gaara can't know," Sakura insisted. Temari looked annoyed. "_Please_ Temari, you know what he'll do if he finds out."

"I know what he'll do when he finds out you lied to him," the Suna Kunoichi said matter-of-factly.

"I'm not going to lie," the pinkette insisted. "Just wait until he can't interfere with the treaty."

"When will that be, exactly?"

"I'll go back to Konoha," Sakura said, thinking out loud. "I'll make sure this works, then I'll be back."

"Sometime this year?"

The pinkette growled at her. "Of course!"

"Before or after your first check-up at Konoha and your adopted mother, who will insist on performing a full body physical to make sure we haven't poisoned you with our local cuisine, figures it out and the information spreads around the hidden leaf like wildfire?"

Sakura growled. "I trust my shishou–she won't tell anyone."

"Are you sure about this?" Reika asked her. "It doesn't feel... wrong?"

"It doesn't feel right," Sakura agreed. "But we all know what he'll do if he finds out before that damn treaty can be signed.

The handmaid nodded her head, reluctantly. "He'll attempt to keep you here by force, even if it meant ruining the treaty."

Kokoro looked scandalised. "Surely Lord Gaara wouldn't‒"

"Don't be stupid," Temari snapped. "Sorry," she said softly, "I didn't mean to snap." She cleared her throat. "Sakura? I know it's important, but you can't keep it from him forever."

"I know–just until all of this is over. I'll be back, and I'll tell him: I _promise_."

"If we were twelve, I'd insist on a pinky promise," Temari said, sighing heavily. "But... hm." She grinned maniacally. "Okay, I'll keep quiet, for now–though I make no promises not to nag you about it. But if you don't come back and tell him AS SOON AS HUMANLY POSSIBLE, I'm going to drag him to Konoha, and you won't be able to avoid him there. Okay?"

Sakura nodded. "Okay, but for now, this doesn't leave this room."

And as one, the three women turned to look at Sakura's handmaid.

"Remember," Temari said to her. "That means you too."

Reika gave a meek smile, which Sakura translated. "She's scared of him."

"I promise," the blonde girl said.

"You don't really need to ask me, Sakura-hime," Kokoro said, ignoring the blush on the pinkette's face at the suffix. "I am bound by my medical oaths to not say a word of this to anyone, including the Kaze-heika; I will not utter a word to anyone."

"Thank-you."

Kokoro bowed quickly. "I must return to my duties–Yashamaru Sensei wants me checking on Lord Kazekage every hour on the hour for the night shift, and I'm going to be late for the next round if I don't get going now."

"I suppose this is goodbye then," Sakura said, and let the young medic hug her before she left, a smile plastered on her face.

"People are going to wonder if she got lucky," Temari observed, having noted that smile.

"Do you have any favourite names, Sakura-hime?" Reika asked, excitedly. "For baby ideas, I mean."

Sakura frowned at the suffix. "No."

"I have a million of them," Temari added.

Sakura baulked. "Aren't we getting ahead of ourselves?"

"_No_," both blondes said at once, and the pinkette sighed.

"How about Mio?" Temari suggested. "It means 'beautiful cherry blossom'."

"Or Yuka," Reika said, feeling giddy all of a sudden. "It means 'gentle flower'."

"Cute."

"What about Sora? It's unisex."

"Then my niece might be mistaken for a boy," Temari said.

Sakura shook her head at her. "And what if he's a he?"

The blonde scoffed. "_She_ won't be."

"You don't know that."

"Sure I do."

"No you don't."

Temari groaned. "Listen here: there hasn't been a male firstborn in the Sabaku family for generations, and it's not about to change now. I'd bet my life savings on that."

"Your father has a sister?"

"Emiko," Temari said. "She died when she was four, and dad didn't get to know her, but still." She rubbed her temple gently. "Uh, don't tell him I told you about her, okay?"

Sakura nodded obediently, her mind whirring. Emiko... that was a beautiful name.

"I like the name Taro," Reika mused. "It means–"

"_No_," Temari snapped at her, growling. "I told you, she's a _GIRL_!"

…

The morning of her departure was not as rushed as Sakura expected. Normally, she would've gotten stinking drunk, or at least something else, completely irresponsible, the night before something like this, but obviously, she couldn't. She'd slipped into Gaara's room after he fell asleep, thinking she might just let the cat out of the bag if she had that time to talk to him, instead of getting ready.

So she woke to his warm breath in her ear, his arm slung over her waist, and a contemplative look on his face when she finally rolled over and realised he'd woken first. He had been arguing for days now, on all the reasons that she should stay in Suna, coming up empty, and for the first time, Sakura realised he'd run out of steam. The demon of the sand had finally realised he wasn't going to get his way. The council couldn't stop him, his family didn't even try... Sakura had not grown up giving this man everything he wanted. He couldn't pull that crap with her.

She smiled, lifting her hand to rub the kanji on his forehead tentatively. Sakura had no idea why he'd done that to himself, and a part of her didn't _want_ to know. He hadn't talked about his childhood, those years spent in training because the Nara monks (a spiritual order in this country and the keepers of knowledge in the Land of Wind–more accurately, the Kaze No Kuni) had named him as Kaze-heika. He had been chosen by the monks, from the tender age of five, to succeed his father. The council had disliked him from the get go, but could only fight the word of the monks, and the obvious power he'd wielded from even that young age, for so long.

It was Kankuro and Temari that told Sakura this.

Sakura leant into Gaara, kissing him slowly, passionately, before pulling away. He let her go, but watched her closely as she climbed out of bed. Maybe he was too tired to argue.

"_No_," Gaara growled. "I won't let you."

Sakura stopped, her hand on the doorknob, and turned to look at him.

"It's not your decision," she said, trying to control the shaky edge to her voice.

Sakura didn't want to leave, but she wasn't selfish. She _had_ to return to Konoha if there was any hope at all that this could lead to a permanent peace. Her hand went instinctively to her stomach and trembled slightly before pulling it away. She couldn't tell Gaara she was pregnant–she _knew_ him; he would risk continuing this war to keep her here if he knew.

He jumped out of his bed; Sakura realised kind of belatedly that he was naked, as he pushed her against the door, effectively trapping her.

"The hell it's not," he snapped, his sand lashing out. "You aren't going _anywhere_!"

Sakura no longer flinched at his anger, at the crumbling man who had just destroyed the wall behind him with his sand rather than keep his rage in check. Kami knew she loved this irritable man, every inch of him, and every stupid outburst. He'd smashed through the support beams in the southern corner of his bedroom, and was glaring at her like she had just killed him–or a raccoon, seeing as though that was his favourite animal.

His hands gripped her shoulders. "I love you, you can't leave me."

He sounded so pathetic. "I'll come back," she whispered. "Gaara please, let me go."

Gaara couldn't explain it–he felt like he was losing her, like this wasn't temporary. He couldn't let that happen. He touched his forehead to hers. "I never knew how this could feel until you–you've ruined me."

"I love you too, my Kaze-heika."

He gripped her tighter, his hot breath on her skin. "Please," he said softly, his voice strained. "Stay with me."

Sakura couldn't control her tears, damn it! She didn't want him to see her cry! She was supposed to walk away without breaking down, and without faltering in _any_ way! Gaara of the desert, the demon of the sand, and the next Kazekage… he had her heart, her mind, her body, and her _soul_. His begging was the last straw for her and she broke down, clinging desperately to him as he pulled her into a soul searing kiss.

She wrapped her arms around his neck and clung so tightly she was worried about being able to let go.

"I can't," she whispered, tearing her mouth from his. "I love you Gaara, but I can't stay. I told you I'll come back, and I mean it." She sniffled. "I have to tell you something. I..." She tried to form the words. He deserved to know–maybe... maybe it would keep him from destroying more of his home. But the words wouldn't come.

"What is it?"

"I..." She couldn't. "I'll tell you when I come back."

He looked at her incredulously. "Spit it out!"

She glared at him. "No, when I come back."

He growled.

"I promise."

Gaara stepped away from her, and once again, she was reminded of his nakedness. She took it all in, gazing at him. He was so beautiful.

"Hey!"

Neither of them responded to the sound of Kankuro banging on the door. A moment later, it swung open, and the middle child of the Sabaku family let out a screech that was far from manly.

"Oh Kami, Gaara, put some fucking clothes on!"

...

It was bright and early, and if they wanted to get to the border to the Land of Fire in time for the rendezvous, they had to leave, and _soon_. The group that was escorting Sakura was Mia's squad. The cousin of the infamous sand siblings was the second last to hug Sakura goodbye–though it was hardly necessary for her, right now.

"We'll be travelling for two days," she insisted. "I _need_ to hug you now and then again later."

'_Definitely a female version of Naruto.'_

Gaara pulled Sakura aside. If she was determined to go, there was one thing he insisted on her taking with her. He had gathered up sand from his gourd; Gaara pushed and pulled the sand using his chakra and once it was done, held it out to her. "I know it seems incredibly juvenile," he said, "but I want you to keep this on you at all times."

"More prying into my accelerated heartbeat?" She asked cheekily.

He shook his head, not taking the bait. "It will grow weaker the further you move away from me."

"Then why–"

"I want you to put some of your chakra into it too," he whispered, lowering his head as the nearby sand ninja started fidgeting. He pulled her closer and Sakura looked down at the delicate sand sculpture, now looking at it properly. He'd moulded it into the shape of a sprig of cherry blossoms–she could tell from the shape, that he'd modelled it after the flowers of a Sakura Bonsai Tree. Like the small bonsai that Temari had given her–and was henceforth in charge of until she returned. 'Cherry blossoms' was the generic term for flowers on a number of different types of trees.

These were her favourite ones.

Without waiting for her response, Gaara tucked it into her shirt–the top covered her cleavage, and she watched as his fingers slid down her breasts, placing the blossoms in the crevasse in between them, caressing her skin as he went. His hand lingered as he seemed to debate something and Sakura forced his head up to look him in the eye.

"I love you Gaara, you know that. When the treaty is signed I'll be back: I promise."

"And you have something to tell me."

She nodded. "Yes."

"Something you can't tell me right now."

"Something I _want_ to tell you right now," she corrected.

"Then tell me," he pleaded. "What is it?"

She shook her head, placing her fingers over the sand cherry blossoms. It was easy to guide her chakra through it, since she had gotten a taste of wielding Gaara's, when his father had taken a turn for the worst.

Sakura glanced over at Gaara's family (unfortunately, despite the start of a slow recovery, Arō was the only one that could not come down to see her off–and Kokoro was with him right now), offering them a small smile before turning back to Gaara, throwing her arms around his neck, and kissing him deeply. He returned it with enthusiasm, not caring that they had an audience.

It was only when Mia finally cleared her throat and reminded them of their time limit that they finally pulled apart.

Sakura nodded to her, and entwined her fingers with Gaara's for a moment. She tugged on his hand gently before letting go; her fingers fell from his like silken water and she could still feel the warmth of his touch as she was forced to turn away from him.

He watched her disappear into the sand, using his kekkei genkai to track her progress... his family wisely said nothing about him imitating a statue, and left moments after Sakura and Mia's team vanished out of sight. Gaara continued to watch, through his bloodline limit, through the long, dreary hours it would eventually take for them to reach the forest.

…

The dark of the early morning was just fading when the lights outside the Hokage's Building finally came on. They'd been acting up for a while now, though it was nice to see them come on at all, though far too many hours late. The sweet scent of Spring, warm but comfortably so, made her feel like the war was over, and the problems of the past decades had never happened. She was sitting in her chair, sipping sakē, and just enjoying the way it made her happy and indecisive at the same time.

It was a beautiful fantasy.

But it all came crashing down when she was reminded, by an untimely visit, that the war was still going, her people were still dying, and those closest to her didn't have the freedom to daydream, as she'd just done.

Tsunade read, reread, and triple checked the results. The attack that had put Shizune in the hospital hadn't looked as bad on initial inspection as it had actually been. Some kind of heavy poison had entered her system, and thinking back over the attack, the Hokage couldn't mentally picture the moment she would've had to have been infected. Any plausible moments involved Tsunade as well, and _she_ wasn't sick.

'_Bastard,'_ she thought, growling out loud.

This attack on her–Ibiki's interrogation of the rogue Iwa ninja confirmed that Tsunade had been the target, not Shizune (though it was plain as day, anyway)–supposedly had something to do with Hanzō of the Rain. She sighed, letting the medical reports on her former apprentice fall back on her desk. The man was long dead. The ninja had to have been lying. All that mattered was Shizune's recovery, and Sakura's return. Right now, it was all she could think of.

"That's all?" She asked.

Aoba Yamashiro was the delivery person of this particular news. He'd done his job and hung around the hospital, bringing the Hokage news on Shizune's condition the moment there was any change. Tsunade had already done her part, sifting through the venom, creating an antidote, and crossing her fingers hopefully. She didn't have the time, as Hokage, to be there any more than that, so she had to leave Shizune's recovery up to the other doctors.

"She's recovering," Aoba relayed. "Slowly, but surely."

"Good."

Aoba fell silent, looking nervous.

'_Oh how I prefer Kotetsu and Izumo,'_ she thought grimly. _'They're never afraid to tell me what they're __**really**__ thinking.'_

The idiots were nursing hangovers today, supposedly.

"What is it?" She asked, sensing the arrival of the ANBU.

"Lady Tsunade," the masked man bowed. "May we speak privately?"

"Aoba knows about your mission," she said.

"Of course, milady; it's about sending a team to retrieve Sakura Haruno."

"I already sent the group that's meant to meet Sakura at the border," Tsunade said, waving her hand at the ANBU.

"Yes ma'am, but there's a problem–your advisor has provided some disturbing, so-called evidence."

"Explain."

"He's sent his own team to bring her back, to supersede your orders."

She narrowed her eyes. "Is _he_ who I think he is?"

"Danzou Shimura, yes milady."

Danzou had been furious that she'd sent a team in to Suna to begin with–the one led by Kakashi Hatake. Never mind that they had _volunteered_ and the mission hadn't cost them any money–just that he didn't agree with it. He was just an arsehole, plain and simple.

"That _man_," she growled, thinking about how satisfying it would be to strangle said _cockroach_, "has no control in Konoha. The only power he ever wielded was when ROOT was up and running, but they were disbanded years ago."

"According to our new intelligence, thanks to the Senkage, ROOT has recently reformed, Lady Hokage," he said, watching the annoyance on her face tentatively. His recent mission had been to follow some suspicious behaviour within the ranks of the ANBU Black Ops and he'd subsequently found something far more disturbing.

"Are you sure?" Tsunade asked.

"Yes ma'am." The man held out two scrolls. "The first is a coded missive with the information you need on ROOT, and the second scroll, I intercepted a day ago. It is a copy of a message to the Daimyo, from your advisor, Danzou Shimura. He has provided conclusive evidence that one Sakura Haruno gave national secrets to the enemy during her time in Suna. They spoke of arresting her upon her return to Konoha, with intention to execute."

"What?!" She jumped up, slamming her hands on her desk.

"Lady Hokage," Aoba said, a little terrified. "Everyone in the building will hear you."

Tsunade growled at him. Now was _not_ the time for him to grow a backbone. "That bastard's gone too far this time." She turned back to the ANBU. "Fetch Kakashi Hatake, Sai, and two more ANBU: bring them here immediately."

"Hai, Lady Tsunade." The ANBU left immediately.

"What will you do?" Aoba asked.

Tsunade sat back in her chair, her heart pounding in her ears. "Rip the balls right off that bandaged mummy."

He twitched uncomfortably. "If milady will allow, I think I'll return to my duties."

"Yeah, yeah."

Tsunade didn't spare him a glance as he left. She'd chosen the hierarchy of Konoha personally, and she trusted them–both with her life, and to ignore Danzou's orders (if they ever clashed with hers). She could feel the anger bubbling inside of her, at his latest stunt, but more than anything, she was terrified. Danzou had the Daimyo's backing on this, which didn't bode well for Sakura. She had to do something, and _fast_. There was no way Tsunade would sit back and _let_ him frame and execute her adopted daughter. He was going to _suffer_ for this.

She was still lost in thoughts of painful things she could do to Danzou when the knock came at her door. "Enter," she growled out.

Kakashi, Sai, and three ANBU entered–including the ANBU she'd sent to collect them. Double checking that her office was secure, Tsunade relayed what the ANBU had told her. "You will have to be enough for this–I'm sorry it's so last minute."

"And what of Naruto?" Sai asked.

Tsunade groaned. Kakashi smiled at the mask-less ANBU. "I think it's best we don't disturb him right now, don't you?"

"He would want to know."

"Enough," Tsunade interrupted Kakashi's retort. "This mission is time sensitive and Naruto has personal issues to deal with right now, so get moving, and make sure you reach Sakura before those ROOT bastards do."

"Given the timeframe, and even with us going full-throttle," Kakashi said thoughtfully. "It's actually more likely that Danzou's operatives will reach Sakura first."

A vein bulged in Tsunade's temple. "Then what do you suggest, Kakashi?"

"Does the retrieval squad you sent carry a reverse summoning scroll?"

"Yes," the Hokage admitted. "But there's no point in summoning Sakura to Konoha through that. She can't come back here, Kakashi."

He smiled genially at her. "Not _here_, Hokage-sama."

"I see..."

Sai rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Those things have a limited range, so we'll still need to head toward the land of wind."

"Then what are we waiting for?" One of the ANBU asked–if this wasn't such a delicate situation, Tsunade would reprimand him for his lack of professionalism. The two ANBU were Genma Shiranui and Raido Namiashi–both as loyal to her as they had been to the third and fourth, and both well aware of the depths that Danzou would go to get his face on the Hokage Mountainside (Iwashi Tatami being the ANBU who'd brought her this information in the first place).

She stood up, pounding her fists on her desk, _again_. "Then get going, and stop her! If she gets here, the council will arrest her."

'_And execute her,'_ she thought dryly.

The copy ninja nodded, understanding, and disappeared–a slightly shell-shocked Sai and the other ANBU that she trusted more than her so-called advisors put together, following him after a moment's hesitation.

Tsunade sighed, feeling her age for the first time in years, and sat back down. She wouldn't put it past Danzou to assassinate her _quietly_: perhaps even before she could make it back to Konoha. What this all had to do with his ultimate plan to become Hokage, she couldn't fathom, but she wasn't going to let him use Sakura to get it.

'_Perhaps this is a ploy to discredit me,'_ she thought, glaring at her desk.

That made sense, given his hatred for her regime was only matched by his hatred of each former Hokage's system of rule. And all this bullshit with Suna had provided the _perfect_ opportunity.

As the Hokage, she wasn't supposed to feel this useless, but Tsunade had no grounds on which to rescind the Daimyo's decision. He had the council on his side, the blasted elders, and that _fool_ of a man, Danzou Shimura. She was outvoted, outflanked, and outgunned. The only thing she could do now was to intercept Sakura. With Danzou's spies everywhere, she wasn't sure even Kakashi could evade the Shinobi that would be sent out after him if anyone got wind of the true nature of this mission.

This was towing the line where loyalties were concerned; Tsunade hadn't the heart to pretend otherwise. She trusted those she was sending, but this still felt... _off_.

"They're not going to make it."

Tsunade tilted her head slightly, indicating to the new arrival that he could come closer, and out of the shadows. In personal milieus, he wouldn't have bothered to announce himself in anyway, let alone so enigmatically. But Jiraiya always seemed to surprise her, when he decided to behave himself.

"You could go with them," she said half-heartedly, knowing it wouldn't make any difference.

He smiled sadly. "They need stealth for this mission, and afraid to say, I've always stuck out like a sore thumb."

Tsunade wasn't supposed to know about the order yet, after all.

"I wonder if the Daimyo realises the dangerous game he's playing," the blonde said, after a moment's silence.

"Probably not: not that he's some kind of idiot." Jiraiya chuckled nervously. "But Danzou's good at getting what he wants."

"Everything but the position of Hokage."

"And he'll continue to fail at that," he assured her, moving to stand behind her. She was so tense–he gripped her shoulders gently, rubbing his thumbs over the muscles between her shoulder blades.

She fingered the small pendant she kept in her pocket–it was without a chain and tarnished. More now than ever, she wanted Sakura to have it, no matter what. _'I should've given it to Kakashi, to pass on to her.'_

"How can you be so calm?" She said, frowning at Jiraiya's words. "You said it yourself–they won't make it in time."

"Not in time to get to Sakura before the first team you sent," he said, moving his hands to rest comfortably on her shoulders. "Maybe not even before ROOT. But that reverse summoning idea is pure genius. Either way, Kakashi and Sai won't give up until she's safe, even if it means taking out that ROOT squad and becoming missing-nin themselves."

…

The Land of Rivers was hostile territory. Sakura had heard that there was once a village called Takumi that made ninja weapons. About twenty years ago, it was razed to the ground, by a joint forced of Kumo and Kiri Shinobi. The country itself was now merely a glorified thoroughfare for most nations, but unlike others that had been invaded and raided in years gone by, was still a lush, fertile land.

"It's currently being patrolled by Kirigakure troops," Mia told Sakura. They'd been "on the road" for half a day now, and the pinkette was having trouble resisting her urge to turn around and run back into Gaara's arms. It would take about a day (from Suna) to reach the Land of Rivers, and Mia decided to inform Sakura of what was waiting for them, in an attempt to distract her. "We have to pass through there to get to the border to the Land of Fire, but hopefully, our passage will go unnoticed."

As she went on about recent scout reports on the area, Sakura felt her stomach drop at the mention of Suna intelligence. She was terrified now–it had been over three months, and so much had changed in that short time. _She'd_ changed. Even if she hadn't fallen in love with Gaara, she imagined her time in Suna would've still left her scared of going home. She was the kind of girl who worried over other people's impressions of her–people she cared about, anyway. She was pregnant... that was not going to go over well.

She spent that night worrying over Naruto and Ino's reactions, terrified of Tsunade and Kakashi's, and downright petrified of Sasuke's. It wasn't good for her blood pressure, but she couldn't help herself.

Once they did finally reach the Land of Rivers, Sakura followed Mia's instructions to the letter. She concealed her chakra as much as humanly possible, and they travelled in a single filed line. She wasn't a tracker, so Sakura had to trust her companions that they weren't being followed, no-one had spotted them and yes, the nearest enemy was _supposed_ to be hours away from their intended route. It didn't allay her concerns, but it at least kept her mind preoccupied.

Another day passed, and Sakura had finally found a sense of inner calm... and then a few minutes before they were to reach the border to the Land of Fire, she started feeling the nerves again. Mia motioned to the rest of her squad, and they dropped to the ground–obediently, Sakura followed suit.

"I thought you might feel more comfortable looking more like you're being escorted, rather than travelling alongside us," Mia explained, when Sakura gave her a questioning look. "Since no-one in Konoha knows... you know..."

She _did_ know. Sakura didn't want to have her reunion with whoever had been sent to take her back to Konoha to be "why do you look so chummy with the Suna ANBU?" She needed to let her friends know what had happened, but on her own time.

"Thank-you," she said, immensely grateful.

Mia gave her a final hug before motioning to her squad to start moving again.

The next few minutes were the longest in her life... well, not quite, but near enough. A part of her was relieved that none of the leaf ANBU already waiting at the agreed upon rendezvous point were remotely familiar, while the other part was disappointed not to see a familiar face.

The ANBU wore the standard black cloaks–the squad leader's cloak was white. The leader stepped forward. "Yakko Namashi," he said.

"Mia Royama."

Sakura glanced at Mia in shock. She hadn't known her family name, assuming it was the same as Gaara's. Why hadn't she thought to ask?

"The code?" Mia asked, now grabbing a gentle hold of Sakura's elbow.

"Amatsu Shi." **[**_*****_**]**

"Very well."

"We'll take her from here," the leaf ANBU captain said.

Mia nodded, watching them carefully. It was odd, the way they handled the pinkette once Sakura stepped over to them. She didn't like it. But she couldn't say anything–only watch them leave. An alliance was hanging on this. If something went wrong, Suna would be out of allies, and in deep shit. The last meeting with Iwa had not gone well, but from what Mia had been able to wrangle out of Lord Gaara, this wasn't the only alliance in trouble.

Sakura glanced back at Gaara's cousin, noting the concern in Mia's stance. The redhead shifted slightly, like she wanted to say something, or grab her, or something. There was definitely something bothering the girl. She obviously couldn't see her expression behind that porcelain mask, but Sakura had gotten to know Mia well enough, and the girl was definitely anxious. She offered the redhead a small smile before turning away to follow the leaf ANBU.

'_I'm not too comfortable with this myself.'_

But Sakura chalked that up to her own nerves, surrounding the imminent reunion with her friends.

...

They hadn't gotten far into the Land of Fire, before the ANBU leader brought them to an abrupt stop. An hour maybe... Coming up behind Sakura, he was quiet, and she didn't hear him breathe, let alone move. The smack to the back of her head sent her falling, out of the tree branches, and careening toward the ground. She let out a loud grunting sound, her arms thrown out in an attempt to grab something, _anything_, to halt her descent. A branch slammed into her stomach, and she channelled chakra to her hand, trying to grab onto it before she inevitably slipped again, this time landing heavily and awkwardly on the ground.

"Tie her up!"

Sakura forced herself to roll onto her back and glared at the ANBU as they loomed into her vision.

'_What the fuck is going on?'_

They wrestled her–not difficult, as she was both hurt and winded, from the fall–pushing her flat onto her stomach before tying her hands together, and then roughly hauling her against the nearest tree.

"What the fuck do you think you're doing!" She choked out.

"Our mission," one of the ANBU said blandly.

In mere seconds, she'd been pushed out of a tree, trussed up, and slapped by the ANBU captain for daring to speak. This was fucking insane!

"Are you even from Konoha?" She asked, ignoring their indignant replies to her continued questions.

And then it dawned on her–there was no ANBU tattoo on the man's shoulder. But he wore the mask, they all did. Sakura glared at him as he rifled through her bag–it was still attached to her shoulders. The cloaks had come off once they alighted to ground level, and the severity of her situation finally kicked her in the head. They could be from another village, but they'd known the code created for the handoff with Mia's squad–this was a sealed jutsu used to make the information attached to said code, impossible to pass on. It didn't matter how much the ANBU who were supposed to be escorting her were tortured–it was as guarded as the information itself. Such things were once considered barbaric, but five years ago, when this current war began (there had been others before it of course, but mostly when she was still a child, or before she was born), the idea to resurrect the idea (in Konoha) was met with no resistance. It had served them well. Sometimes she wondered about it–the idea was surprisingly, Danzou's. Not that she would ever admit out loud that anything that mummy suggested was useful.

She shifted slightly, the pain in her side shooting through her body like an electric jolt. Her hands went to her stomach and she frowned, wondering what she was going to do.

The only thing she could think of was that these ninja had, at one point in the past, been a part of ROOT–but Sai had told her they'd been disbanded years ago. He'd been stolen from his family by Danzou, and indoctrinated; even years later from his release, the artist _still_ had trouble with emotions and understanding social etiquettes. It sounded so crazy, but these ANBU were showing all the signs. The ROOT were supposed to have been merged in with the normal ANBU, but rumours had been circulating for years (though she'd never believed them, until now) that a small faction had been working outside of their Hokage given orders, not wanting to dissolve their teachings.

She snapped to attention when the ROOT leader tore her bag off her shoulders, throwing it away. He tore her headband from her forehead and threw it to one of his companions. "What the _hell_ is going on?" She demanded. "You're supposed to be returning me to Konoha."

He shook his head. "Those aren't our orders."

"What _are_ your orders?"

Of course, she wasn't expecting an answer. It was rumoured that Danzou had gone to _special_ lengths to keep ROOT members quiet. What she did expect however, from the moment these ANBU had taken responsibility for her, was for them to _act_ like normal ANBU. Now that they were alone, they'd reverted.

It was beyond creepy.

She resisted the temptation to wriggle backwards on the ground, and tried to focus on her chakra; her hands palmed the ground and she growled audibly as the squad leader advanced on her. Sakura realised what her masked "escort" was going to say before he actually said it. He unsheathed a tip-less tantō–another hint that he had origins in ROOT (normal ANBU used a katana).

"Our orders are to kill you before we return to Konoha."

...

The unnatural earthquake sent the local wildlife scattering in all directions; birds burst from treetops, vermin scurried out of the way, in fear for their lives, and an assortment of indigenous fauna fled the area in a similarly disorderly fashion.

Sakura's distraction worked, and she tore away from her intended murderers, running in the opposite direction–but toward Suna or Konoha, she wasn't consciously choosing. The pain in her body reminded her she was still not healed, but she refrained from using too much of her chakra, wanting to hide her trail as much as possible. It was only a few minutes before she fell forward again, crying out in pain–her scream echoed around her as she crumpled under the weight of the ROOT commander.

"_Bitch_," he snapped, pressing his blade to her throat. "You're going to suffer for that–I'm going to make it _slow_."

He was bleeding, proving her assertion that her distraction had done some damage to them all, after all. It was a small comfort really, considering her current position. His team mates were blurring images at the edge of her vision and for one moment, Sakura wished _dearly_ that he would go back on his word and make it quick.

The underbrush behind the ROOT commander rustled suddenly; with the tantō at her throat, Sakura couldn't make it out, but it seemed their little _excursion_ was being watched.

"Whoever you are," one of the other ROOT said to thin air, "this is none of your business."

The commander twisted his head around in time to see the enemy approach warily. They were hidden mist ninja–eight of them, which outnumbered his four–and hunters, by the look of them.

"We'll be taking her now," the one at the front said.

The ROOT members moved to encircle her. "You will _not_ interfere in our business," the leader growled, standing up and shoving Sakura into the ground roughly.

"Sorry, but that's a pretty little girl you've got there, and my men are getting twitchy."

'_Oh for the love of...'_

The sarcasm dripping from the Kiri ninja made her doubt _that_ was what this was really about. This was clearly not an ambush on their part, and unnecessary fights can delay or outright obliterate previous missions–the hidden mist ninja were just looking for a fight.

'_War makes everyone insane.'_

The first one darted forward without her realising it, and annoyed, Sakura lowered her head, ducking down, and out of the way. She kept her eyes peeled however, realising this was her best chance to escape, _again_. And this time, ROOT was _not_ tracking her down! At least, not so easily this time.

She rolled toward the forest, pulling on her ropes; her chakra scalpel tore through the crude design (really, she should've done that before now) and exhilarated, she scrambled out of the clearing before jumping to her feet and making a dash for it. The sound of battle drove her away, and she was relieved when it faded into the distance. But she didn't stop, wanting to put as much distance between herself and all those idiots before succumbing to exhaustion.

It was almost sunset by the time she collapsed, near a small river. She rested, couldn't find any food, and then realised she was out of danger–the reality of it wouldn't sink in however.

But this wasn't her day.

Sakura started moving again, and had just reached a small ravine when she sensed the chakra signals behind her.

"We're not done with you yet, love."

She was almost too scared to see who had followed her... _almost_.

Water whips lashed onto her before she could defend herself, effectively blocking her chakra, and she glared at the Kiri ninja. Anger replaced fear and she struggled in vain against these bonds. They were much more effective than the ones the ROOT members had placed on her, and she let out a frustrated sigh, inciting laughter from her captors.

"You should be grateful," the leader said. "We're not going to kill you–we saved you." She scoffed. The Kiri ninja jostled her, pulling her toward him. "Here," he continued, removing the water whip and placing chakra ropes on her wrists instead. "This'll be more comfortable for you."

It really wasn't.

"I'd be more _comfortable_," she growled out. "If you let me go!"

What was it with Kami lately and tying her up?

The leader laughed at her. "Come on, we've delayed our return long enough."

Sakura glanced over at the setting sun to affirm their intended direction–they were now heading back toward the Land of Rivers.

'_Shit.'_

She looked closer at the ANBU as they led her along the forest floor. These were Hunter-nin. Kiri was well-known for these elite Shinobi. While Konoha had natural born trackers (the Inuzuka, Uchiha, Aburame, Hyuuga... and Kakashi) the Hunter-nin of Kirigakure were peerless in _their_ tracking, and both respected and feared for said skills–not needing a special clan jutsu or kekkei genkai to get the job done, on top of outstripping other villages in success rates. There was nothing scarier than being hunted down by one of _them_.

Other villages may have trackers, but Hunter-nin were the elite.

They passed back into the Land of Rivers and veered south-west; according to her captors, the temporary Kiri encampment was hidden in a river bend. Hours later, long past her usual bedtime, they finally came to a stop. There was no genjutsu covering the encampment–just old fashioned camouflage. It was brilliant in its simplicity. Tracker ninja (no matter who they were) predominantly searched for hidden, enemy camps by sensing the chakra used in concealment jutsu.

She could've passed right by it and never realise.

The encampment wasn't large–a few hundred square feet–and lightly _populated_.

Immediately, a tall Shinobi, flanked by two shorter Chunin, greeted them.

"Hiroshi," the taller man said, addressing the leader of the Hunter-nin squad, and appraising Sakura lewdly. "What have you brought back today?"

The ANBU pushed Sakura forward, still gripping the chakra ropes on her wrists; she almost toppled face first from the interrupted momentum. Instead, she twisted, landed on her bum, and grudgingly refrained from resisting as he pulled her back to her feet.

'_Kami help him if I ever get my chakra scalpel on him.'_

"Look familiar?" Hiroshi asked, turning her to face his leader.

Sakura shoved at the ANBU holding her, directing her steely gaze at the man, so obviously in charge. "And you are?"

"Tatsuo Higashikawa," he said. "Regimental commander of the ninth Kirigakure battalion."

"Pleasure," she snarled. An idea had occurred to her, and having been robbed of her hitai-ate by ROOT, she felt confident she could pull this off. "Tell me, regimental commander, why have your men brought me here, and tied me up? As you can see, I'm a non-combatant, and there are laws against–"

The commander snorted loudly, interrupting her speech. He shoved a book into her hands, open to the page in question. "There you are, milady, see for yourself. This is obviously why my men brought you here, why you're all trussed up, and why I can't let you go. Do you understand now?"

Sakura didn't respond to the venomous sarcasm in his tone as she stared at the unflattering picture of herself in the newest edition of the Bingo Book for the Land of Fire. Everything and everyone around her suddenly fell silent, and her body locked up on her, stiff as a board. It didn't specify what she was supposed to have done, other than "selling secrets", which was a generic term, more than anything. Her mind whirred, not giving her emotions a chance to respond as it debated all the many reasons this _had_ to be a nightmare. There was no _way_ the Hokage would've let this happen.

"Congratulations," the commander smirked at her. "You're a leaf traitor."

Angry, Sakura snapped out of her shock, glared up at the man called Tatsuo, and threw the Bingo Book back at him. "I am _not_ a–"

"I don't care what you did," he interrupted. "I intend to collect your bounty, regardless."

Her eyes widened. This was getting ridiculous. "A _bounty_?"

'_Of course there's a bounty... stupid, __**stupid**__ Sakura!'_

He gave her a wry smirk. "And I'm sure Konoha would pay a hefty sum to get a hold of you."

Sakura clenched her fists, frustrated at the lack of accessible chakra. "I'm not a _prize_, either."

"Your own people have forsaken you," he continued, ignoring her comment. "So if I were you, I'd start behaving myself, or I might just let my men have a little _fun_ with you before we hand you over."

Sakura quickly closed her mouth, cutting off her own retort. This didn't feel real. She wasn't a traitor. She was loyal to Konoha! She bit back the emotions now threatening to hiccup out of her mouth as her hand fell instinctively to her stomach as Tatsuo looked down at her smugly. She wondered for a moment, if he would treat her better if he knew she was pregnant.

'_I doubt it.'_

He was a savage. It was difficult to believe his Kage was a woman, what with his chauvinistic attitude.

While she contemplated her situation, Hiroshi addressed his commander. "Commander, as you predicted, scouts from the north-west passage report movement along the border to the Land of Earth."

Tatsuo sighed. "Hidden stone ninja?"

The Hunter-nin nodded. "Yes sir, it looks that way."

"Very well, inform Matsuki–I want a strike squad ready to move on them within the hour."

"Yes sir."

"And have her put together a separate, small squad–no headbands or identification of any kind–to report to me in the morning."

"Yes commander."

Tatsuo grabbed Sakura roughly by the arm, half-dragging her toward a large tent–most likely his. She took note of the guards outside the flap, and the imprint of chakra that bordered the tent–some sort of safeguard, she was sure–before being pushed inside.

"You will remain here," he told her, as she fell inelegantly into a chair in the corner of the tent, "until we find a buyer for you."

Sakura ignored him, looking around the tent; it was sparsely furnished, with one bed, a small dining area, a screen door she supposed he used for dressing, and a heavy trunk.

"I can assure you," she said, holding her bound hands up for inspection, "there's no need for _this_."

He chuckled, leaning against the support post in the centre of the tent, and appraising her. "I disagree–you're a troublesome little girl. A formidable Kunoichi before one even gets to your dossier. Apprentice to the fifth Hokage, medical prodigy, not to mention a mini-Tsunade on the battlefield: no, I won't be underestimating _you_, Haruno."

She bit her lip, thinking about that. "You're right, I'm a headache. This is not going to go easy for you, so why bother? Do you really need–"

He snorted again. "As soon as I barter you back to Konoha, I'll have what I _need_."

"I would've thought you'd want to avoid trading with Konoha," she said. "We're not your ally, Kumo is."

"The alliances are _all_ withering," he informed her, looking at her like she was stupid. "Suna's attempt to ally with Konoha is just one example of this."

This sounded serious–her curiosity was piqued. Sakura shifted her hands; the chakra ropes binding her wrists together were _tight_. "Tell me, please. I'm as good as dead anyway," she added, when he frowned at her. "_Please_."

He glanced at the entrance to the tent. After a while, in which Sakura worried he was never going to speak, let alone answer her question, he finally relented. "Something's happening out there–officials are being assassinated, from Daimyos to high profile clan leaders, and it's causing panic. The great nations already have trust issues, as you know, but this new attack is tearing apart even so-called friends, at the higher levels of government, civilian or ninja. The assassinations have been so well prepared and the method–"

"How?"

He stared at her, his eyes boring into hers as though trying to understand the unfathomable. "Poison."

'_Poison...'_

Sakura's mind went straight to Arō.

"No-one knows who to trust anymore," Tatsuo said. The demeanour of the smug, domineering man was waning, and he now looked more like a frightened sub-ordinate. "And they're saying that this war is almost over. This region is the last active pocket of fighting–everyone else has been recalled over the last month, to fortify their respective country borders, and villages, in case this new enemy decides to use the poison attacks as a platform for full invasion."

Sakura had to force herself not to gape. She had no idea it was that bad. Nothing she'd heard in Suna sounded as bad as Tatsuo was making it out to be. But his voice was even, without sarcasm or ill intent and damn... she believed him. After all, it made sense... but she still didn't understand it. Her mind lingered on her own diagnosis of Arō's condition. The medics in Suna had initially diagnosed him with Ilac Vesical Disease, and she'd even gone as far as stating that is was just meant to _look_ like it was a disease. Could she have been wrong too?

"It's such a shame you have to be traded and executed," Tatsuo said blandly, trying to regain a sense of his normal arrogance. "Such a renowned medic like yourself would be invaluable in this crisis." He visibly shook himself.

Sakura glared at him. "And what little you'd get from trading me is worth all those lives, I suppose?"

He hesitated, staring at her impassively before allowing a strained smirk to twist his lips. "Yes."

Before she could snap at him again, the commander exited the tent, leaving her alone to her thoughts. She had no doubt those guards were still outside the tent, and that sealing jutsu was capable of keeping her inside, so she didn't bother trying to run off after him. No, if she was going to escape, it would be after they took her from the tent, but before they rendezvoused with the highest bidder on her. Whether or not that truly turned out to be Konoha.

Reluctantly, Sakura moved to the bed and lay down; she tried to focus on sorting out everything she'd learned, in her head. But instead, her thoughts, never far from Gaara, wondered what he was doing right now, whether he'd know soon that she hadn't been returned to loyal Konoha ninja after all, and if their child would have his hair, and her eyes–and whether she would be a medic or inherit her father's kekkei genkai. Instinctively, both hands clasped her stomach, and Sakura closed her eyes, trying to fight the stinging in her eyes that promised tears.

'_She.'_

Sakura wanted Temari to be right about that. And she hoped Kami would forgive her for not telling Gaara he was going to be a father, when she had the chance. She closed her eyes, trying to calm her breathing so that she could get some semblance of sleep before her inevitable "shipping out". She was going to need all her strength to get out of here–she decided not to bogle her mind on the details of everything that was happening, let alone _where_ she would inevitably be escaping to, as she drifted off.

Sakura woke to the sound of a distant explosion. Instinctively, she knew she'd been asleep for hours, but it _felt_ like seconds. Scrambling to her feet, she inched over to the tent flap, trying to discern the garbled voices and distorted amalgam of sounds in the distance.

"Get the prisoner!"

Sakura stumbled back from the entrance as a darkened figure entered.

The ninja that strode in was staring intently at her. "It's not safe for you here," he said lightly, his eyes trailing over her body. "It's a battlefield out there; the commander has ordered your relocation."

Sakura held her wrists up. "I'll stand a better chance if I can defend myself." He frowned at her. "Obviously there are too many of you for me to escape," she reasoned. "_Please_."

He seemed to contemplate this for a moment, and then shook his head. "I'll just take you myself."

He didn't release her bonds, but the Shinobi kept her close as he led her from the tent. Sakura looked around–they were in a shallow valley, and the familiar sight of charging Shinobi coming in from the northern flank sent a chill up Sakura's spine. This was no random skirmish. Whoever the "enemy" was, they'd been eyeing this valley for a while now. She grunted as the Kiri ninja pulled her roughly. The squad leader of the Hunter-nin party had mentioned Iwa Shinobi. She _so_ did not want to run into them right now.

Sakura jerked her arms, under the guise of loss of balance, pulling her captor with her; lightning crackled over their heads and she felt the heat of it moments before the chakra pouring into the elemental jutsu. The earth rattled underneath her as if in response and Sakura started to panic. Two _very_ powerful jutsu were about to clash and she had to get out of this basin, _now_!

Her "escort" gave up on pulling her; someone or something had grabbed his attention and he left her behind.

Sakura felt suffocated, trying to avoid the rushing bodies; she was surrounded. They pressed in on her, and she struggled to breathe.

Someone called out what sounded horribly like the order to kill every "dirty Kiri scum", and Sakura spun around–in the next instant, she recognised the insignia on the headband of the unfamiliar Shinobi who had just called out.

He was a Suna ninja! Her heart jumped for joy. The pessimist in her said this man _wasn't_ her salvation, but she desperately pushed on anyway.

"Where do you think _you're_ going, missy?"

Tatsuo Higashikawa.

Her body trembled violently as a rough hand grabbed her shoulders.

The next few moments were a blur. He seemed angry, ravenous even, as he attacked her. With her chakra out of commission, all she could do was attempt to evade his attack. Blow after blow, he attacked her, and she attempted to block his attacks without getting hit. When he finally realised this wasn't working, Tatsuo threw his body against hers, taking her by surprise. His kunai then easily found her throat, and only the sudden cold startling her (she jerked away) saved her skin, literally. Small droplets of blood still burned her throat however, as she hadn't moved in time to avoid it completely.

The Kiri ninja slammed into her again, the bulk of his body crushing her against another that she hadn't realised was behind her. A sharp, scorching pain tore through her abdomen, and she cried out, realising she'd been stabbed from behind. Tatsuo grinned maniacally down at her and instinctively, she brought her knee up, kicking him in the groin. She quickly grabbed the kunai and slit his throat without thinking about it. The kunai couldn't cut her chakra ropes however, but she kept it close as she struggled again, momentarily forgetting that she had a gaping hole in her body. Tears stung her eyes, and as Sakura tried again to break free of her bonds, before realising the long, discoloured blade sticking out of her side wasn't an ordinary weapon.

'_Please work!'_

Dropping the kunai, she twisted her body, biting her lip at the pain, and moved her bonds over the blade, using it to cut through them. She let out a huge sigh of relief when it started working. The rope fell away and Sakura grunted–the ninja behind her was stirring. She couldn't stay where she was. Taking a moment to prepare herself, she grabbed a hold of the blade, forcing her chakra into it, and pushed it backwards, out of her body, in one swift move. The scream that fell from her lips was drowned out by the continuous sounds of battle around her, but seemed to awaken the man behind her.

Trembling violently, Sakura pushed herself to her knees, her hands going to her open wounds in an attempt to at least stop the bleeding. Despite everything, her chakra wasn't going to be enough, and she fell sideways, ever aware that the owner of the blade was bearing down on her. But she couldn't do anything about it as the pain in her body froze her in place. She glanced upward, and caught the scratched Iwa insignia on the headband of her attacker in her peripherals, before his weapon came down toward her.

And then everything went black.

...

She fazed in and out of consciousness, unaware of the true passage of time; she remembered fighting again, managing to get to her knees when that Iwa ninja went in for the kill, but the details were blank in her mind–except for the bone crunching pain.

Literally.

Right.

Her bones were broken.

How the _hell_ had that happened?

And the only movement Sakura could make was to grasp her stomach impatiently, waiting for enough of her chakra to return so that she could check on the condition of her unborn child. She wasn't far enough along to be able to feel it kick, and the foetus was too small for most medics to detect–only a weak chakra signal would confirm that she was still indeed pregnant.

But when a small amount of her chakra did finally come bleeding back, Sakura was too scared to check for the secondary heartbeat growing inside of her. After that beating, it would be a miracle if her unborn child had survived. And all she wanted now was to rewind time and redo everything all over again; she'd change it, she'd make it _better_.

She cried then, not bothering to hide the sound of the sobs.

A light rain trickled down her face, mixing with her tears, and washing away the taste of salt on her skin. Sakura Haruno was in no position to wipe the tears away regardless. Her body was as good as completely broken; she had felt the bones crack, and the muscles contort impossibly. The blood caked her skin so quickly, and cemented even in the rain. She was lying amongst a sea of dead Shinobi, both friends and foes (if Suna could technically be called friends, right now). They came from multiple villages, but there were only three main allegiances between the great Shinobi nations. Their blood filled her nostrils and Sakura felt nauseous. She was a medic, so blood, gore and dead bodies didn't bother her. But this was different.

Still pregnant or not, she still _felt_ nauseated.

She wasn't supposed to be here. She wasn't supposed to enter the fray, not with this battle. It had been a long time coming, the final conflict of this war playing out _here_ of all places. All those months ago, coupled with the failed talks at the time, had led to this place. She hadn't realised until it was too late, just how important all that had been. And Sakura had planned to be far away when this went down. She didn't want to see this, this senseless violence. She had no control when it came to avoiding it, so she'd resigned herself to returning to Konoha and trying to pick up the pieces of her life when she was ultimately drawn back into the middle of this.

She ignored the niggling voice in the back of her head that told her things could never be normal again. She would either return to Konoha a traitor, or Suna... and in both scenarios, she was still pregnant. Again, she resisted the temptation to see if she was still pregnant.

Sakura squirmed slightly, gasping at the renewed pain that reminded her of the predicament she was in. She was alive, for now, closing her eyes at the stabbing ache in her side. She was terrified of what lay beyond her when these wounds finally took their toll. She didn't have enough chakra left to heal herself anymore, and several vital organs were bruised from that last attack. But it wasn't her imminent death that bothered her, no…

'_I'm going to die a traitor.'_

No-one could blame her for being captured by the enemy, tortured, beaten, and killed for her insolence. But instead, she was considered the enemy because she let him seduce her. She let him into her heart and then proceeded to make a mockery of her Kunoichi training by choosing not to let an innocent man die. How could she be expected to watch him writhe and scream without at least _trying_ to help him? It made no sense to not care that another human being was in pain.

Fat lot of good it did her now.

She supposed this was what had happened. Lady Tsunade wouldn't have done this to her. She had to believe that. Her chakra shifted. She may not have enough to heal herself, but there was one last thing she could do–her hand stayed on her stomach of its own accord, and she pushed the last of her chakra into her uterus, searching for that life inside of her, not knowing which outcome would bring her the greater relief, considering everything.

'_We all die alone.'_

Her probing interrupted, Sakura twisted her head onto its side at the sound of something moving nearby. If it were hoof beats she would not be so concerned; only civilians and the foot soldiers to the many Daimyo used horses. But this was definitely a ninja. A moment later, their distinctive chakra signature was familiar to her and she struggled with the growing fear in her heart. What was _he_ doing here?

The pinkette move her head again to find the man staring down at her, the all too familiar look of lust in his eyes. But instead of making her heart miss a beat as one might expect from his expression and "position", it was instead racing in fear. She tried to move away from him as he leant over her, his face mere inches from hers. His proximity coupled with her sudden attempt to move sent spasms of pain throughout her body and she cried out.

"Don't worry my cherry blossom," he said softly, a smirk twisting his lips. "_I'll_ take good care of you."

'_I've never met you,'_ she thought. _'Why are you here?'_

And she wished she'd died. She wished that this had truly been her end.

If her child was indeed dead, then what else was there to live for?

'_Gaara.'_

Sakura spluttered noisily. "No!"

She wanted to go home, to Suna. She wanted to run into his arms and promise never to leave him again!

"You don't have a choice, my blossom," he said, wrapping his arm around her shoulder and lifting her effortlessly into the air. "You're coming with me."

She couldn't fight back, letting Orochimaru hold her against his chest–she didn't try to see where he was taking her, she just knew it was away from the stench of the sea of bodies around her. And before she passed out again, she could've sworn he laughed.

…  
>X X X<br>…

Yay! All done! That marks the end of arc 1, and I am EXHAUSTED! In a good way. ;P

Anyway, there's really no surprise on the Orochimaru front–really, I could never have successfully made him look like a good guy anyway. I find him interesting, sometimes funny–yes, even in canon–and hopefully that part of him translates in here. I just hope you guys didn't see the him "saving" Sakura thing coming. That'd ruin my day lol.

Lastly: the next chapter is an intermission–like a second prologue. Another teasing look forward, if you will. Or a flash-forward. Or momentary time-skip. Or a reminder that I like to play mind games. :) Whatever floats your boat. Haven't written it yet, but when I do finally get around to it, the next update won't take as long. Lotsa love! ^_^

**R&R.**

A quick poll:

How long do you think a chapter update has to be before it's too long? Word count wise, of course. I don't have an answer for this one myself, since I've done longer–my complete Dramione–but I'm curious what you guys think. :)

...

**[**_*****_**]** Amatsu Shi: means "Heavenly Death"


	14. Intermission 1

Hiya. ^_^

Okay, like I said last time, think of this as a second prologue, and like the first one, it's more of a flash forward and hint of things to come. The next chapter will begin Arc 2.

**Thanks to** Kibachow, withloveagain, DramaQueen, Falynn1993, minniemousemom, PLacIDwiCkedNEss, Guest, akashicrecord, IridescentInTheDark, Kor Anders, moodymel, JeanyDeiXzz, Chyna Fey, Hannabell Fester, here-to-read, Chiikyuggi **and anyone else I've forgotten, for reviewing.**

Enjoy! ^_^

…

– Intermission #1 –

…

Sand had a mind of its own; he'd long believed this. It didn't need his permission to break open the earth beneath him, to tear apart both enemy and friend. But it was waiting, like he was its master. And Gaara could see them all through it–the rogue ninja who now invaded the Land of Wind. They were like cockroaches, and their power rivalled the individual armies of the six great nations.

Everything he'd been doing lately, every shameful thing, and every _honourable_ thing, had been leading up to this moment. His eyes tightly closed, he almost didn't detect the familiar chakra sneaking up on him.

'_Why him?'_

"It's no use."

He looked up slowly, disappointment marring his features as he took in the fruit of his labours–the traitor. Like a mouse to cheese.

"You can't stop this war."

Gaara glared at the man, shifting slightly, in case he decided to attack. "Is this really what you wanted?"

"No. But that's war."

The redhead scoffed.

Perhaps his hesitance in killing this traitor had something to do with his inner fear. He feared turning into this man, the one who would tear him apart like he was some automaton, like a true ninja tool. To let his anger, or blind loyalty destroy everything he held dear. And if he died, there would be no need to cry, no cause to worry and hate those who'd brought it about. Gaara would be free. The only problem with that scenario was that he'd die alone. Of course, everyone died alone: there was no disputing that. Family would be waiting for him on the other side, and that was a comforting thought, but he didn't want to go.

Gaara felt the anger he'd been holding back for months, first with his search for Sakura, dealing with stupid council members, and now trying to stop this new war. The Shinobi standing in front of him was to blame; the man had killed, maimed, and passed secrets to the enemy. And once Gaara was done with him, he would spill his secrets, of that the redhead was sure. Still, it bothered him. Was it someone like Orochimaru that ordered the Kazekage's death? Were there more spies in Suna, or even Konoha? Was the hidden leaf really the answer to all their problems? And what did the rest of the Shinobi nations think was really going on here?

None of that mattered right now, because Gaara had more personal concerns than mere politics. He growled at the man. "You poisoned my father."

"Yes."

"Why?"

"…"

Gaara shifted, his fists clenching again. "And now you've followed me here, to do what exactly?"

"To finish the task that was set to me."

"To kill me."

"No, Gaara. My leader said you would be spared. All you have to do–"

"_No_." Gaara growled. "I'd rather die."

The enemy was advancing fast, approaching from the sand dune behind the traitor. After only a moment's hesitation, Gaara crushed the man he'd once trusted with his sand, but not enough to kill him. That would come later–when this fight was over, and once he dealt with the impending army. He needed more information. For now, he let the demon of the sand (the persona he was most known for) rear its ugly head. Aquamarine eyes turned dark, and Gaara forgot about family, about friends... even the Konoha Kunoichi who'd stolen his heart. He was left now, only with only hollow feelings–only anger, betrayal, and the desire to kill.

…  
>X X X<br>…

Sorry if that sounds a bit angsty. It's all important, promise :)

Anyway. This is a bit confusing. I always get a little muddled when reading a fic that has a prologue AND intermissions–or one or the other. So for the record, this chapter is, according to fanfiction, chapter 14. But to me it's Intermission #1, and the next chapter is number 13–because of the prologue–but to ff that will be #15. Is anyone else confused? Just me then. :)

Lotsa love! ^_^

**R&R.**

A quick poll:

Who would be scarier on happy pills: Gaara or Naruto?

Hahaha. Just picture it. What lulz. ;)


	15. Unhappy Reunion

Hiya.

This is an earlier update than I expected, but later than it should've been, really.

On another note, it seems some people are concerned I'm not going to finish this story. I can tell you guys now, that no matter how long it takes to update, The Spoils of War WILL get finished – short of some permanently debilitating (or fatal, for the morbidly desensitised) condition, or whatever. I'm a closet optimist. It's all good. n_n

**Anyway, thanks to** Guest, moodymel, Refrigerator-Burn, Falynn1993, minniemousemom, Kor Anders, IridescentInTheDark, akiremichan, Guest, LilithiaRW, Angrypixels, laurah2493, Denise, saku642734, DramaQueen, SectumSemprae, Executiion, Holy, ulquihimesz, Chyna Fey, honey-taste, AnimaAmore, Guest **and anyone else I've forgotten, for reviewing.**

I'm not 100% happy with chapter (and probably never will be), so please excuse any and all rough edges. Enjoy! ^_^

…

– Chapter 13 –  
>.:. Unhappy Reunion .:.<p>

…

_A myriad of colours on the artistic palette represented, in her mind, as systems of the body. Chakra, for instance, held many hues, if one was able to see them. To a medic every organ, bone, muscle, fasciae, artery, vein, nerve, and even appendage had its own sensation as well as shade associated with it – it was only theoretical of course as she'd never been able to actually __**see**__ said colours.  
>But she imagined she could see them now: not with Sharingan eyes or anything else of the sort – with her own eyes. They swam around her like fish and as though the air itself was an ocean. It took her a few moments of admiring the scenic display to realise that she was dreaming... remembering... one of them... and the dance of colours <em>_**was**__ actually chakra. It belonged to people not fish, to Shinobi not a canvas.  
>They were all around her.<br>__And then it struck her: She was back in that valley, where she'd been left for dead and her mind separate from her body, watching everything as it happened. At first, the replay was sluggish like she had been plucked out of time and forced to watch it slowly, to torment her. Then it was like fast forward, and she could barely keep up.  
>Colours contorted and faces swam in front of her. Unfamiliar faces, and bodies rather than the palette she had just been witnessing. It was now <em>_**real**__.  
>She didn't remember this part.<br>Everything now slowed down again but to a more normal tempo rather than slow-moving.  
>But she still couldn't feel the ninja as they brushed past her and Sakura stared at them. Her own body, the one on the ground and bleeding was vulnerable and seemingly unconscious.<br>A Suna ninja jumped in front of her and red splattered her vision: had this really happened?  
>'<em>_**Stop it**__,' she screamed at them. '__**Stop doing that**__!'__  
><em>_They'd recognised her as the Hokage's prized student and Sakura reached out to grab them to stop them from throwing away their lives for her. But her hand passed right through them... was she a ghost? Had she actually died on that battlefield?__  
>So she was helpless; one after another, they appeared to protect her only to be cut down where they stood. And she wondered: why weren't they fighting back?<br>She felt nauseated, her hand going to her abdomen as she remembered her condition – familiar chakra had her head snapping up and Sakura let out a scream. He was here standing in front of her body and his eyes fixed angrily on her attacker... just standing there, as the rest of his subordinates had done, waiting for the attack, waiting to die for her...  
>'<em>_**No**__!' All logic abandoned, Sakura threw herself at Gaara.  
><em>–

And then she woke up. Of course she did – her conscience never let her have any peace of mind if the truth was even remotely disappointing. But instead of the bright white of a hospital ceiling, her eyes were met with darkness. Not pitch black, it was more like blotches on her vision; a blurry vision, with no distinction between colours. Like her dream was filtering into the waking world.

Instead of calming her, the transition from bright lights to pallid darkness sent her body into a panic. She thrashed, a whimpering moan falling from her lips as something suddenly grabbed her shoulders, pushing against her efforts.

"Sakura…" The gravelly voice was unfamiliar, but the sympathetic intent was there. Whoever they were, they meant to calm her. "Go back to sleep Sakura."

Her befuddled mind couldn't tell if they were male or female.

She let out a hoarse scream as a shooting pain shot up her abdomen, but couldn't stop the sudden feeling of drowsiness as her arms felt like they were on fire. Sleeplessness was a drug, but despite her mind's inability to fully grasp her situation, her body responded as though it had been attacked. She continued to thrash, struggle against unseen restraints, and scream when she couldn't get free.

Loudly.

When there was no longer physical pain, _something_ palpable coursed through her veins: it was now just a disjointed sensation that left her feeling exhausted and vulnerable. The strong hands pressed down upon her again, and chakra now forced its way into her body; what it was doing, she wasn't sure. The voice of its owner was as unfamiliar as the chakra itself. But the intention was clear – to keep her flat on her back.

Her mind didn't register a lot of this – it was an afterthought – and instead she continued to struggle, yell, and curse to the high heavens. She wanted to _see_ where she was. She wanted to _know_ where she was. And more than anything, she wanted _help_. Sakura just had no idea, in that moment, who from.

Gaara.

She'd dreamed he was there to rescue her, when she was unconscious, like he'd promised: that he would never let anything happen to her. But it was just a dream.

The strong hands grasping her finally relented and she wondered why. Her body sank down with a mind of its own, obeying his silent demand and Sakura slipped back into the dark regions of her mind.

She remembered now: she had been phasing in and out of consciousness, acutely aware of the sounds and smells around her. She couldn't see, not having the energy to even open her eyes, and her body had gone numb past exhausting her pain threshold, but she knew what was out there, despite the fact that only two of her senses were working, and it was freaking her out.

It had been hours now since her first episode and she was again strapped down; her chakra was flaring beyond her control and she distinctly heard a murmur about her "foetus" and "damn condition" being to blame.

The rest of the voices overlapped each other (scrapping and the sound of something tearing brought dark possibilities to her mind) and her imagination went into overdrive at the overpowering smell of blood. Were they carving her up?

'_Don't be ridiculous.'_

"Sakura…" There was that voice again... male, definitely male. "Go back to sleep Sakura," he whispered again.

And like an obedient dog on a leash, she did exactly that.

…

Waking up had always been a pleasant experience for her in the past; her groggy mind would still be vignetted by her dream and she hadn't had nightmares since she was a child (and even then they had been few and far between). But recovering from battle wounds were always the exception. She'd never been in a coma, but had gotten close – it was never pretty.

This was why she wasn't surprised by the unconscious trepidation she felt as she tentatively opened her eyes.

The first thing she registered was that she was free of any kind of restraints (like from a harness, manacles, or a chakra wielding, disembodied voice).

The second thing she registered was a trickling heat surging through her veins – maybe from an IV.

The third thing she registered was blinding light, like the long cylindrical lights of a hospital ceiling.

The fourth thing she registered was the fact that that blinding light was just in her head.

What really greeted her was a dark ceiling, a soft illumination off to her side that indicated a lamp or some such thing, and a strange tingling sensation through her body that she dimly recognised as a symptom (well, _her_ symptom, based on her own previous experience with it) of an intravenous drug in her system.

Her mind was befuddled, that explained it. Why the _hell_ would she be attached to an IV bag if she was dead?

Right.

'_Fuck.'_

The fifth thing she registered was that she was alone.

And the sixth thing she registered was that she was wearing a hospital gown.

She was just glad she could still count.

Sakura groaned, closing her eyes again before rolling onto her left side so as to not pull excessively on the tube sticking out of her arm. Whatever it was, it wasn't hurting her, so she let it be for now; her arm stung a little, but she ignored it. The room was still blurry to her, and it was giving her a headache; keeping her eyes closed, she inhaled deeply, held it for a moment, and then exhaled. She counted to ten in her head before managing to push herself into a seated position.

Sakura ran her free hand over her face, feeling the surge of chakra in her body that came when she concentrated on it. A moment later, it flickered and died. Frowning, she opened her eyes uncertainly, and looked down at the IV in her arm. Her brain seemed to shut down for a moment and she just stared at it blankly. Despite the haziness of her vision, she saw it quite clearly, and debated, once it registered to her brain what it was, just pulling it out. She felt fine...

Sakura grunted at herself, and then tore the IV out of her arm, wincing at the sting; she blinked heavily several times, trying in vain to clear her blurry vision. One part of her brain registered that she was fighting a losing battle, while the other was too out of it to understand she had been drugged. It couldn't have been a sedative, because it was still attached when she awoke. Maybe it was for the pain? She waited for a moment, to see for sure, realised a few minutes later that she was _not_ okay without the IV, and then groaned, the pain searing through her – that answered her question about what kind of drugs were still in her system. She scoffed at the ridiculous idea that her body was already being dependant on it. Still, she didn't want to think about the state her body must've been in before it was healed, by whoever that had been.

She'd never even had a hangover this intense before.

The medic in her screamed at her not to do it, but Sakura disagreed with it _painfully_ and grudgingly reinserted the IV; her hands shook with the effort as she struggled to find the vein in the crook of her arm (she ended up having to use her chakra to do it properly). It had been stupid of her, but she didn't care anymore – the pain was becoming too much. Besides, she had more important things to worry about; she waited impatiently for the pain threatening to rip apart her body to die down and the drug (she wasn't sure, since it wasn't labelled, but it could be anything, from lidocaine, to Procainamide, or Bretylium) to kick in. It might dull her senses and slow down her chakra, but it was better than the alternative right now.

'_It just better not be morphine,'_ she grumbled to herself.

Instinctively, Sakura's hand went to her stomach and without hesitation, she searched for the faint chakra signal she knew should still be inside of her. She held her breath, closed her eyes, and forced herself to concentrate; it took every ounce of control she had left, due to the unknown drug impeding her chakra, but she did it.

The tears came then and she let out an involuntary gasp, not bothering to cover her mouth as she clasped her hand tighter to her stomach. She felt it; it was there, the small chakra signal was strong and easy to find. She was still pregnant!

Sakura couldn't stop the resounding sobs, so she didn't even try. Although she'd initially been terrified and upset at her condition, she couldn't help the fierce wave of relief that flooded through her body now. She sat on the edge of the bed, one hand holding tight to the IV stand and the other gripping her stomach like it was her lifeline.

As her sobs subsided, and her breathing finally evened out, she opened her eyes and blinked away the last of her tears. Tears of joy... she hadn't had them in a while. Sakura smiled; she moved her hand up the front hospital gown absentmindedly and without thinking, her fingers gripped at the place where she expected a small, sand sculpture to be. It wasn't there. Frowning, she looked down at her bare neckline and felt around between her breasts, even though it was obviously gone, as though it would magically reappear.

What the fuck?

Whoever had undressed her had clearly taken it away. She felt a mild panic at the thought of it being tossed carelessly into a bin, or breaking apart and returning to its original, grainy form. She wanted it _back_!

Happiness contorted into anger, she pushed herself off of the bed and dragged the IV stand with her as she walked over to the only door in the room. She yelled out "hey!" pounded on the door and screamed herself hoarse before realising she really _was_ alone. Someone was going to pay for this, that much was certain. Growling, she decided to get her bearings, and searched the walls for some sign of the time, or date; a small calendar sat in the corner of the room, prominent against the boring, plain coloured wall plaster behind it. Apparently (even though it felt like she'd been unconscious for weeks on end), it had only been three days since the battle that had almost killed her. The drugs in her system didn't allow her to feel how bad off she was, but even as exhausted as she felt, she knew she was out of the woods.

Sakura had just woken up early, by the looks of things. No-one else was around because she wasn't supposed to be awake yet... maybe. Well, it was the theory she was going with until a better one came along.

Sakura sat back on the bed and lamented on the loss of her sand bonsai as she rubbed her belly affectionately. So lost in her thoughts she was, that she didn't immediately sense the approaching chakra. Even in her current state, chakra this powerful was difficult to miss. She looked up suddenly and scooted to the other side of the bed as the door opened slowly, trying to calm her laboured breathing. She didn't scare easily. Frankly, the only person in Konoha that frightened her was Lady Tsunade, and that was only because she'd spent enough time around her to know _exactly_ how angry and powerful her shishou could be. Maybe it was a Sannin thing since, and only under pain of death would she admit this, she was a little wary of Jiraiya-sama also.

So when Orochimaru stuck his head in past the doorway, like a snake slithering into a room, she had to force herself not to gasp, or whimper – anything that would show she was scared of this man. He was followed into the room by another – from the uniform she guessed a medic. The man was cute; with dark brown hair and a boyish face, he looked to be in his mid-twenties. He moved toward her, stepping around the bed that she'd used as a physical barrier between herself and the door, and gave her a gentle smile that she returned reflexively. He seemed genuine.

"Hold still," he said holding out his hands (now glowing green), and she immediately relaxed; his voice was familiar and calming. It was a few moments later as his chakra invaded her system that she realised she'd heard his voice in her delirium – he was the one who'd held her down in her intermittent bouts of consciousness after her arrival in Otogakure. It was nice to be able put a face to that enigmatic voice.

"Who are you?" She asked, before she could stop herself.

"Yasue Nagao," he replied, the corner of his mouth turning up in an amused smirk as he continued to ease her pain. "Head field medic for the second Otogakure battalion."

She was pretty sure she should have already met him then, considering their villages were allies, and the head medics were obligated to be seated in every inter-village war meeting. And more than that, she was pretty sure she had already met the head field medic for the second Otogakure battalion before, and it had been a woman.

"I was only recently promoted." He answered her unspoken question. "There," he pulled his hands away from her. "All done."

Gently, he reached over and pulled the IV out of her arm; he gave her a disapproving look, perhaps realising that she'd already removed and replaced it, then bowed to the Senkage before obediently leaving the room at Orochimaru's nod and silent dismissal.

Sakura fell silent, her eyes flickering to the door, and then the floor before settling on her hands (which were nervously resting over her abdomen).

"There's no need to be nervous," Orochimaru insisted. "I'm not going to bite you."

She looked up in time to see him motion to her to move out from behind the bed. She _really_ didn't want to, but he was the Senkage, no matter how creepy she found him or what Gaara had told her about him, so she did as she was bade. He had moved away from the door, so she walked in the other direction, if only to put more distance between him and herself, even if she could no longer rely on the barrier the bed had beguiled her into thinking it was. Swallowing heavily, Sakura licked her lips, voicing the thought that now burrowed into her head.

"H-how am I still alive?"

"My medics saved you, and your unborn child," he said, his eyes now flickering to her stomach.

"For what reason?"

He gave her a hurt look. "You are an invaluable ally, Miss Haruno."

She held back her scoff. "And a branded traitor."

"Yes... I know." He hissed. "An err in judgement I am told, made by the Daimyo and his associates; one that will be rectified soon enough."

Sakura wasn't sure what to say about that. He looked genuinely annoyed, but she knew from Gaara, and talking with the Suna council, what a snake he really was. Was it possible though, that in his own way, he was disgusted by what had been done to her? She didn't dare believe it for a second. She _couldn't_. This man was not to be trusted. After all, what would he have to gain by healing her, saving her baby (her hand went to her stomach again, unconsciously) and keeping her out of harm's way?

No matter his words, she couldn't shake the sick feeling she got, standing this close to him. He wanted something from her – the cold hard fact that it was the only reason she was alive. Orochimaru never did anything for anyone (outside Otogakure) without wanting something in return, or without sending assassins or some such, to take what he wanted.

Or so she heard.

"And what do you want from me?" Sakura asked, shivering involuntarily as he chuckled softly.

"Oh, nothing my dear," the snake Sannin said genially. "I have no need of you."

'_Yeah right_,' she thought, remembering the way he'd looked at her on the battlefield, lustful and appraising.

"Then why am I here?"

"I went out to find you as a favour to a friend, young Sakura," he said. "Lady Tsunade has been very worried about you."

Sakura perked up, despite her fear of reprisal from her mentor due to her "condition". A friendly face right about now would do the world of good for her. Orochimaru chuckled again.

"And as far as the Hokage is concerned," he continued. "My forces are still scouring the countryside for you. It is not for Lady Tsunade that I personally ventured into that bloodbath to find you."

"Then for who?"

"Sakura…"

Sakura spun around, immediately recognising that voice, the deep, husky voice she had fallen in love with, so long ago.

"Sasuke…"

Suddenly self-conscious, Sakura worried that she had "pregnant and volatile" plastered across her slightly larger than normal forehead.

"I will leave you two to get reacquainted," Orochimaru said, before turning to leave.

Sakura was shocked, to say the least that the Uchiha was still here. Gaara's information had placed him in Konoha, where it was said he was working with leaf ninja to find her. Her heart had leapt at the thought that he was still worried about her, but now it seemed those reports were wrong, or that he'd finally given up and decided she wasn't worth it anymore.

'_What is wrong with me?'_

She couldn't be thinking that way about Sasuke when she desperately wanted to get back to Gaara. But she couldn't have both Gaara and Sasuke, let alone both Gaara and Konoha. Sakura had already decided where she belonged, and with who, and she wasn't going to let her shock at seeing her former lover make her forget it. But the pregnancy wasn't so easily ignored as her desire to return to her friends and loved ones in Konoha. They would never accept her back in her condition. She had already been marked as a traitor, so her place was in Suna, right? She swallowed heavily, watching the way Sasuke was raking her body with his eyes. It wasn't lust, or a sudden desire to just hold her close; those eyes were calculating. Did he know she was pregnant after all?

Of course... if Orochimaru knew, then Sasuke _should_ know too. But would he tell him though?

This was not the reunion she would've hoped and planned for.

She stared at him, taking in the sight of his familiar form, her eyes noting the lack of Konoha insignia on him, and the fact that he was wearing the grey high-collared short-sleeved shirt and dark blue pants that he often favoured while training. She sighed deeply, noting he was patiently waiting for her to talk first. He never did like to start their conversations. She just wished he would stop staring at her for a moment, so she could gather her wits.

'_Might as well get this over with.'_

"What are you doing in Otogakure?" Sakura said in a whisper, deciding to forego the pleasantries.

"What are you talking about?"

"You're supposed to be in Konoha."

"No, I'm not – I have a mission here, remember?"

"You _have_ been back since I was taken," she corrected him.

Sasuke raised his eyebrows at her. "How do you know that?"

She wasn't supposed to know that. He continued to stare at her, waiting for an answer; Sakura didn't want to give it to him.

"You're supposed to be in Konoha," she said lamely.

"Why?"

"It's your village Sasuke," she said. "The place of your birth, where your loyalties lie, remember?"

"Of course I remember," he said, frowning. "What's gotten into you?"

"Answer me Sasuke," Sakura said, stiffening slightly as the Uchiha reached out to take her hands. "Why are you here?"

He hesitated for a moment, confused by her line of questioning, before realising she meant with her. "Orochimaru said he could find you, that's why."

"And I'm healed, and I'm fine, so let's _go_."

Sasuke pulled his hand away. "I can't."

"Why?"

Why, oh _why_ was she not surprised?

"I made a promise Sakura. I'm in Otogakure to help Orochimaru. I can't just up and leave."

She frowned. "Help him do what?"

Sasuke just shook his head. He wanted to hold her, to make love to her; he'd missed her so much. She was standing right in front of him, close enough to reach out and hold onto... but there were issues and questions he needed answered first. Such as…

He took a deep breath. "Who's the father?" He asked softly.

He knew it couldn't be him; they hadn't slept together for months before she'd been abducted (it had been the night before he left for Otogakure, and subsequently broke up with her). Orochimaru's medics had estimated the time of conception was no more than eight weeks ago, so it was either some random guy in the week preceding her leaving Konoha, or Sakura had slept with someone in Suna. When he'd suggested they take time off from each other while he was in Oto, this was not what he meant. If Sakura had fooled around in Konoha, scratched her itch, and just had some fun, he'd be jealous and upset, but it would be his own fault for breaking up with her. But if it was someone in Suna, then that was different. The village hidden in the sand was the enemy. First and foremost, the Suna option was what he believed, despite the small chance that a Konoha Shinobi or civilian could have wormed their way into her pants... call it a niggling feeling, a sixth sense or just his bad karma fucking with him. So who was it in Sunagakure that could have or _would_ have seduced her? He had hoped she wasn't raped, and the look of guilt and shame on her face told him the sex had been consensual.

But Sakura wasn't ashamed, not really. Yes she'd let Gaara seduce her, yes she'd wanted him from the first moment he'd kissed her, but she wasn't some kind of slut. She was in love with the Kaze-heika, and wasn't going to pretend otherwise, but the ever present fear of Sasuke's reaction to this silenced her, and she lowered her eyes to the floor.

Sasuke felt guilty now; he couldn't stop it. He reached out, gripped the pinkette's hands, and entwined their fingers. Open affection wasn't his thing, but they were alone, so he felt comfortable pulling her into his arms. Sakura leant her head on his chest, not sobbing or apologising, just explaining. The damn in her broke and she let it all out – everything that had happened to her from that fateful fight with the Suna ANBU, how the sand siblings had turned up and taken control of the battlefield, and how she had been so terrified for Neji. And she still didn't know if the Byakugan user was okay, despite Mia's insistence that if Gaara had wanted him dead, there'd be no denying that he was dead.

He didn't interrupt as she told him how Gaara had fought to keep her from being tortured, how he had been drawn to her as she was to him. She explained what she'd been told about the Kazekage, and how his disease turned out to be a deliberate attempt at assassination. She told him how the Sabaku family had treated her respectfully, despite the council's desire to make her suffer, how she'd spent her birthday upset, but had gone to Arō's party and actually enjoyed herself, despite the scuffle with the Iwa dignitaries.

Sasuke gripped her tighter as she told him how she'd fallen in love with the Kaze-heika. He listened with rapt interest as she confirmed that the Kazekage was healing, and there was a spy in Suna – there _had_ to be, given how Arō had been poisoned. She didn't speak of what she'd learned from Gaara about Orochimaru, but she told her former raven haired lover about Suna's decision to look for an alliance with the leaf, given that the one with Iwa was failing, and Tsunade's conditions for agreeing to meet with them.

And then the icing on the cake: "I found out I was pregnant the night before I left Suna."

Sasuke took it all in as she fell silent, still gripping him fiercely. It was a lot to digest. He had no idea what to say.

Sakura broke the silence a minute later. "Sasuke?"

"Hm?"

She didn't even look up at him, her face buried in his chest. "Do you know where my bonsai is?"

He almost did a double-take at her seemingly random question. "Bonsai?"

She nodded. "Made of sand and infused with chakra: Gaara made it for me. It was..." She blushed, turning her head to the side as though he could see the rapidly building crimson on her cheeks. "Down the front of my shirt, but I couldn't find it when I woke up."

Sasuke struggled inwardly, trying to curb his frustration and jealousy. He had a good twenty years to practise self-control, and wasn't about to lose it now of all times. He swallowed heavily before answering.

"I'll check with the staff that had access to this room while you were recovering." He promised, though the chances of finding it were remote, since Sakura's arrival in the Senkage's arms had created quite the disturbance, and he doubted many were paying attention to her breasts when the rest of her was so torn up.

"Thank-you."

He pulled away from her, and looked down at the hospital gown that was covering her body, if only to distract himself from his invidious thoughts. "You're going to need a change of clothes. I'll be right back."

Sakura watched him leave and close the door behind him. She understood what she was putting him through and desperately wished she could've prevented how he discovered she was pregnant with another man's child, but knew it would be futile to show him any sympathy – he was too stubborn and prideful not to view it as proof that he was weak.

So for now, she would just take Sasuke's advice and get dressed.

...

"Are you fucking _kidding_ me?"

The previously worried and nervous Sakura was gone and Sasuke resisted the urge to roll his eyes at this new but achingly familiar hot tempered one – he was pretty sure this wasn't just her hormones acting up, after all she'd always been temperamental. He sighed heavily at her foul language as Sakura glared at him. He had scrounged up a few articles of clothing he was sure she would fit into and right now, he had a hikizuri (a trailing kimono) in his hands held out to her for her inspection.

"I'm not a geisha, Sasuke! Where are _my_ clothes – my top, my gloves, my shorts, and my bloody _boots_ for crying out loud?"

Sasuke gave her a look that clearly said 'are you fucking stupid?' and it took her a moment to realise why this was; considering the state she'd been in physically, there would be little doubt that her clothes had been torn beyond repair.

Well, that was just fucking _great_! She growled. "I'm not wearing a dress."

"The women in this compound aren't field Kunoichi," he said matter-of-factly. "This is all I could find."

"I'll wear a damn haori and hakama if I have to."

That would not go over well with some of the more traditional "gentlemen" currently enjoying the honour of visiting the Senkage's personal home, but Sasuke didn't bother telling her – likely, they would only glare at her for it, and she was more than capable of dealing with some light weight chauvinists. It wasn't like she hadn't gotten attitude for wearing men's clothes before (though that had been from leaf civilians who were too stupid not to ridicule her, in public no less). He should've foreseen this however, and absentmindedly rubbed his temple, feeling a headache coming as Sakura yanked the hikizuri out of his hands and threw it on the floor in some kind of symbolic show of ingratitude. She always did have a penchant for the dramatic.

"_Fine_." He ground out. "I'll be back, _again_."

Sakura let out a deep sigh as he half-slammed the door behind himself. She realised she was being difficult, but couldn't summon the capacity to _care_. If she was going to be stuck here against her will, then by Kami or any other deity, she was going to make them _want_ to send her home!

'_Suna,'_ she told herself. _'When Orochimaru figures out I'm more trouble than I'm worth and lets me go, I'll head to Suna.'_

Really, the village hidden in the sand was the only place that made sense to her right now, considering her missing-nin status. Sakura ignored the involuntary twisting of her stomach at that thought and sat back on the bed as she waited for Sasuke to return. Too much verbal banter with Sasuke however, and he was bound to realise what she was up to – he knew her well enough. So she would save her temper tantrums (real or not) for the important things, like having something _decent_ to wear. The only skirts and dresses she was willing to wear were still in her wardrobe back in Konoha.

Her mind went to the dress she'd worn to Naruto and Hinata's wedding: champagne coloured, with simple tassel-like trimmings and a matching shawl. She smiled nostalgically, also remembering that Hinata was pregnant too. Except her Hyuuga friend would be something like nine or twelve weeks along now, and surrounded by family and friends, and able to listen to her baby's heartbeat... maybe.

Sakura sighed, her hand going absentmindedly to her abdomen as she let her mind drift off again (but this time in a different direction) – she was _really_ good at that game she used to play with Ino when they were kids called "anywhere but here". When Sasuke finally reappeared, she was basking in the tropical sun and sipping martinis with a certain redhead, her only worry half a world away. She sighed again, noting that Sasuke had taken her seriously and brought a set of what she might've thought were his clothes if they didn't look to be more her size than his.

"Thank-you Sasuke," she said softly, sliding off the bed. He just grunted and left her to dress herself. She felt no embarrassment from the fact that he'd thought to procure new underwear and had even knew/remembered her bra size. It was funny the things that used to make her blush but just seemed so trivial now. Sakura glanced at the door as she changed, her thoughts going to all the belongings she'd lost in her backpack when the ROOT members had thrown it away; it was probably the property of some very _delightful_ squirrels by now.

Despite the situation, she giggled out loud at that thought.

Still, the letters she'd written to Naruto, Kakashi, Ino, and the rest of her friends had been in that backpack. She had loved perusing them and picturing their reactions if they ever got to read them. She would never know now.

She sighed, folding the hospital gown that she'd been wearing neatly on the bed and ignored the strewn, _girly_ clothes still littering the floor; and her hands went to her hair as she realised it must look like crap. And it still needed cutting to get back to her preferred length but quite suddenly, she didn't want to do that anymore. Maybe it was her hormones, or the fact that she was no longer going to be heading off on some mission where her opponent might grab her hair in the middle of a fight, but she was seriously contemplating growing it out again. Of course, she was not going to wear it down all the time, remembering that she'd grown to _loathe_ getting hair in her eyes, but a nice simple braid or plait would fix that well enough.

She ran her hands through the mop on her head however, and grimaced when she realised it would need a _thorough_ brushing.

She frowned to herself and without thinking, tried to open the door Sasuke had exited through; surprised that it was unlocked, she was _not_ surprised however, to find her Uchiha "escort" standing on the other side, waiting for her. She put her hands to her hips, trying to look intimidating and failing miserably.

Without waiting for her to ask or demand it, he handed her a comb and motioned silently for her to follow him.

Sakura instinctively reached for the doorframe and she faltered, her vision blurring. She was out of the woods, but not fully healed, by the feel of it. It was understandable, given what she'd been through – in fact, she was surprised she was feeling as good as she was. It looked like her shishou hadn't been lying when she'd told her that Otogakure's medics weren't as bad as their reputation would have the other nations believe.

"Sakura?"

Damn it, Sasuke had noticed her falter. She didn't want to be sent back to the bed, or to another room with another bed in it.

"I-I'm fine," she said quickly, pushing off of the doorframe. "Just a little light headed."

He didn't look like he believed her. Instead of leading the way, he grabbed her elbow and steered her into the hallway. In her exhausted state, she was having trouble taking in the sights, but she registered that they were in a small, lowset complex – from the smell of things it was a small hospital. As Sasuke led her out into the open air she registered suddenly that it was very early in the morning; blinking heavily, she shielded her eyes from the rising sun and looked around, smiling lightly at the gardens as they passed through an open walkway.

"Where are we going?" She asked, and yawned before she could close her mouth again.

"Out of here."

They passed through another set of connecting walkways, a maze of walkways, and around several complexes that she got the feeling she wouldn't be allowed in – they then veered south once they exited what looked like an enclosed cafeteria.

"Is this entire place the Senkage's home?"

"No."

Sakura frowned at him, but let it go. It would do no good to continually question him anyway – he was the king of monosyllabic answers, and often left her wondering why she'd opened her mouth in the first place.

When the structures they moved around changed from busy and easily accessible to empty looking and guarded by high wire (Sasuke even motioned to a couple of guards who instantly moved to let him and Sakura through), she realised they were definitely within the confines of Orochimaru's private compound. Surprisingly, it did look more welcoming than the place she'd woken up in.

Sasuke brought her to a stop in front of a bench, overlooking a large garden. "This is the southern gardens of the Senkage's home," he informed her. "Sit: you haven't had breakfast, so I'll bring you something from the kitchens."

"Are you my babysitter or manservant?"

Sasuke ignored the jibe and walked away. She just shook her head at his retreating form and sat down as instructed, resigning herself to staring out over the simple gardens instead of wasting time being frustrated at him. He was right about her need for food though – remembering the comb in her hand, she got to work unknotting her hair. The air here was cool and inviting, and she gazed over the peaceful scene in front of her – the footbridge, the brush fencing, stepping stones, perennial plant life and water features. The nearby kakei reminded her of the one she had drawn up in her own plans – amidst all the plans for her life, she also had an amazing traditional garden – the clunk of the bamboo spout as it filled with water and tipped making her homesick. But oddly enough, it was also comforting.

When Sasuke returned, she noted he'd also made himself a little something out of what looked like leftovers. He handed her a bento box and sat down next to her.

"Thank-you."

He "hn'd" her and then ignored her to eat his own food. They ate in silence, and she was grateful for it really. It gave her time to think and admire the scenery some more. Everything in the Senkage's home was designed after the more traditional homes.

'_Home.'_

She struggled with the concept of Orochimaru being _homely_. Sure, he had saved her life and on one hand she really _should_ be grateful. But on the other hand, she didn't trust the lying, slithering fiend. Even without the information from Gaara and the council, he'd always wigged her out. There was something unseemly about him... no, yes, well that and unhygienic. Wrong word: hm, repugnant maybe? Kakashi had once described his scent as that crap that even flies avoided – to be fair, he was a little bit drunk at the time, but his point still stood. The Senkage smelt bad.

She restrained from giggling at that. The humour she found in it worried her.

"Sasuke?" She asked without thinking.

"Hm?"

"I think I'm going slowly insane."

...

After the impromptu breakfast, Sasuke showed her the room that Orochimaru had had made ready for her. The snake had really gone all out – the dining area was bigger than her apartment back in Konoha. But she didn't say anything, just taking it in and doing as her chaperon suggested and had a shower. He must've left while she was under the water, because when she emerged, wrapped in a bathrobe, he had a whole new set of non-girly clothes waiting for her, like they hadn't been hanging in the closet two feet from the bed.

"Why Sasuke," she teased. "Are you trying to _dress_ me?"

He didn't bother hiding his frustration with her. "Just get dressed – you have an appointment with a medic to keep."

He left the room before she could ask what the fuck he was talking about. And as it turned out...

Sakura's first check-up with Orochimaru's finest OBGYN _slash_ medic had no chance of going smoothly. Sasuke refused to let her go alone, she felt like a zoo animal on display (and her temper showed it), and she was close to breaking point before she'd even been told to get up on that metal Ultrasound Table.

Asshole.

The medic was a middle aged man, had a receding hair line, and didn't bother with bed side manner – in fact, he'd probably thrown it out the window the moment he got his licence to practise. Sasuke stood on her other side as the medic consulted his chart, not looking at her right away.

"My name is Isaaku Shimada, Miss Haruno–"

"Don't call me that," she snapped, fidgeting on the table.

"–and I'll be your OBGYN for today," he finished, without missing a beat.

"Sakura," Sasuke said, warningly. She threw him her nastiest glare and he rolled his eyes, not intimidated in the least. Pregnant women were not a threat to him, in _any_ way.

"Why do I have to do this now?" She asked. "And how the _hell_ was I cursed with an appointment with Mr Monotone so quickly?"

Sasuke shot her a foul look. "The Senkage had this all pre-arranged the moment he brought you to Oto and the medics informed him you were pregnant. Now shut up."

She poked her tongue out at him. Isaaku didn't look fazed in the slightest at her attitude.

"Is this your first pregnancy?" He asked.

"Yes."

"Have you seen a medic regarding your pregnancy before today?"

Sakura frowned. "Only the medic who informed me of my condition – it was just preliminary stuff. She–"

"Not unexpected," he interrupted.

What the _hell_ did he mean by that? Sakura growled at him, but he didn't seem to care.

"Do you have any previous medical conditions that might impact your pregnancy?"

"No."

She didn't like his questions, and yet he seemed to have an endless list of them. Finally, once he was done, he put his chart away and looked at her.

"Let's see how far along you are," he said instead.

"I'm six weeks," Sakura snapped (ignoring his apathy at her temper, as well as Sasuke's barely silent annoyance at her annoyance). She didn't need midwifery lessons from this sanctimonious arse – Lady Tsunade had already put her through that when she was still learning to be a medic. Apparently, most nurses (which Sakura had been seriously considering instead of being a field medic at the time) gushed and got all gooey eyed over getting midwifery training. So she fell for that excuse, hook, line and sinker. "I want a female medic," she grumbled.

Isaaku ignored her again but seemed to decide to take her word for how far along she was, and gently probed her stomach with his fingers instead. There was no visible bump yet, but she didn't like the feel of his cold hands on her bare skin. "Does that hurt?"

She ground her teeth together. "_No_."

She refrained from knocking his head off of his shoulders as he probed her stomach; she hated ultrasounds. Okay, so she'd never had one before, but she'd heard all about how uncomfortable they were. Sakura tuned him out as he talked about how it was too early for this, too early for that. She knew damn well how early it was.

"Do you want to know the gender?" Isaaku asked casually, like he was commenting on the weather.

She shook her head.

Sasuke looked down at her. "Are you sure?"

"It's too early for that, Sasuke."

"Actually–" Isaaku started.

Sakura glared at him. "It's too early!" He would just mess it up anyway. There was still a risk, in the first trimester that he'd make a mistake on the gender recognition, and she'd rather not get her hopes up. He seemed to get what she really meant, and let the matter drop. And he didn't need to know that she'd already decided she was having a girl. Temari's words rang true in her ears.

And damn the consequences either way.

"Are we done?" She growled out.

"One last thing–"

Sakura grabbed his shirt, lab coat, whatever the creepy man was calling it, and used her chakra to keep a hold of him as Sasuke watched on dispassionately. "I. WANT. A. FEMALE. MEDIC!" She screeched in the man's ear.

"I think a second opinion might be in order," Sasuke said evenly.

Isaaku nodded, and Sakura let him go. "Of course; but Miss Haruno, for now, you should take my advice and rest up. You've been through an ordeal and I don't need to tell you how delicate these early months are."

She glared until the patronizing _ass_ was out of sight and then let out a whimpering sigh. She hoped the follow-up practitioner was actually competent at their job. Despite her attitude, there were a number of things he failed to do, that were important. And with that thought, Sakura felt immensely guilty; her child needed those tests. They both did. There were blood tests to do, urine tests... These early months were important, and she'd just chased off the best medic with midwifery experience... supposedly, probably according to Orochimaru.

Sakura scoffed. What the hell did that pale skinned reptile know about pregnancy?

Sasuke remained quiet beside her, waiting patiently for her to finish her internal struggle. She paid him no mind.

'_I wish Gaara was here.'_

No, that wasn't right – she wished she was in Suna. Otogakure had pleasant gardens, a beautiful view and the kind of morning air she liked, but it wasn't Suna. And Sasuke wasn't Gaara. Biting her bottom lip in earnest, Sakura closed her eyes, trying to will away the tears – it wasn't working. This was hard enough, and even Sasuke's reassuring presence didn't make her feel any better that she wasn't doing this with the actual father of her baby. She fought back a sob and turned her head away from Sasuke, trying to hide her tears from him.

"You miss him," he said a moment later.

It wasn't a question. And she knew he was talking about Gaara.

Sakura nodded slowly, unsure how to respond. Sasuke may have not needed to _ask_, but she knew him well enough to know a part of him was still clinging to her – he put up a good façade, but he wasn't even remotely in the same league as his brother when it came to forced indifference. She saw right through him.

And somehow saying, "I'm sorry Sasuke but I hope we can still be friends" just sounded in her head like pouring salt in the wounds. She still loved him but they could never go back to the way they were. So instead, she just sat up awkwardly, mentally groaning at a sudden vision of herself doing this in her third trimester, and offered him her hand.

Thankful for the distraction, Sasuke help her off of the table and onto the floor. Even if it was all he could do, he wouldn't let her go through this alone.

"I'll have Orochimaru find another medic," he said absentmindedly.

She snorted. "I don't trust that snake."

Sasuke glanced at the door, toward where Isaaku had disappeared. "Why?"

How could she tell him the things she'd learned in Suna? Sasuke would never understand, let alone agree. Gaara had told her that Orochimaru couldn't be trusted, and it was on his word that she felt too much like a prisoner.

_'I just traded one cell for another,'_ she thought dimly.

But she would trade them back in a heartbeat, if she could.

She ignored Sasuke's question and sighed. "Do you think you could convince him to let me leave?"

"Sakura–"

"_Please_ Sasuke I can't stay; I don't belong here."

"Then where _do_ you belong, Sakura?" He asked, annoyed. "You've been branded a traitor in the Land of Fire, and you're carrying the child of the next Kazekage. If you step foot in Konohagakure again, Lady Tsunade will be forced to have you imprisoned; and don't think Danzou won't stoop to having you quietly executed while you await your sentencing – probably long before you could even give birth. And if you return to Suna, you will never see your friends and family ever again. So tell me, where exactly do you belong, Sakura?"

Sakura almost broke his hand when he said that, and dutifully he didn't even wince. Shock replaced anger, and then was exchanged with outright horror at his words.

He was right.

And she broke down, the truth of his words hitting her hard. She wanted to find Gaara and let him hold and comfort her, but the thought of never seeing Naruto, Kakashi, Tsunade and Ino again was just as torturous as never seeing the redhead either. Regretting his harsh words, Sasuke held her close again. But his arms weren't enough, and his voice wasn't soothing her sheer terror. He realised this, and it broke his heart that she no longer saw him this way.

"I'm sorry Sakura," he said, not knowing what else to say. "But I won't let you be executed. You must stay here, at least until I can figure out how to make this all right again."

…  
>X X X<br>…

And... end scene, lol. ;) Not the length I'd expected. Second longest chapter so far – after number 12 – but I wanted to end it on that note, so it's all good. And don't worry, Gaara's in the next chapter. :) *sighs* Lotsa love! ^_^

**R&R.**

A quick poll:

Of the following options, which is the most interesting kind of fanon Sasuke to read?

a) Bad guy

b) Redeemed

c) Good guy

d) Other! Tell me!

...


	16. Shades of Grey

Hiya. :)

I want to reiterate what I said in my Author's Note – the one I deleted to make way for this chapter: THANK-YOU to everyone who has PM'd and reviewed your support, you're all so amazing! It literally took my breath away. :) *blows kiss* I feel so stupid for losing everything, but it's over and done with now – but several ideas I've incorporated into this story since that happened will be changing the direction this is going to go and I'm not sure anymore how many chapters there'll be at the end of all this. Cross your fingers. Hope for the best. Watch from a safe distance. And please don't kill me. :)

**Anyway, thanks to **Falynn1993, MillaBaku, LadyA.R.R.O, DramaQueen, bassoongirl14, zekksgirl, ulquihimesz, Chyna Fey, MOOAAAR, Kor Anders, IridescentInTheDark, aries200, moodymel, lovefanfic4ever, Alyxielle, Koomahana, Lymira, Weaselandcherry, Mary Mab, Toreh, Kavfh, Sarada **and anyone else I've forgotten, for reviewing****. **Enjoy! ^_^

…

– Chapter 14 –  
>.:. Shades of Grey .:.<p>

...

It was basic instinct; that animalistic urge to rip open the enemy and take revenge. Everyone felt it at least one point in their lives, even ANBU, who were _supposed_ to be detached. More than anyone else knew, they often straddled that grey area between black and white. Because everyone was human. Even monsters. And especially those who cared enough to get angry and rip open the enemy and take revenge.

That distinction between good and evil, control and chaos, murder and vengeance; it wasn't easy to make in the heat of battle and ninja typically spent their whole careers trying to find it. The difference between those who eventually find peace with their actions and those in a constant state of war with themselves was just another layer to an already unanswered theorem. It was unending.

Either way, he didn't consider himself a model of the perfect being – though his violent outbursts had been tempered via years of meditation, even if most people didn't see it. And he knew he was the monster. The one who had killed so many that his reputation had become stained with blood; regardless that it was far bloodier than he himself, the notoriety still held.

Intent was everything; he had always believed that he was no better than his thoughts, but did that then absolve him when his actions didn't reflect his thoughts; when he _thought_ about gutting every member of the Sunagakure council but instead spent hours _killing_ inanimate objects in his favourite training ground?

He had wanted to kill the council – every single one of them – when they continued to fight him on the subjects of both his father's declined health and his allegedly unhealthy relationship with the man's medic.

Pink hair, green eyes, long legs, creamy skin, melodic voice...

Damn it. Focus.

_'Focus.'_

Forcing the dangerous, traitorous thoughts out of his head, Gaara closed his eyes; moving out of the basic Chu-dan **[**_*****_**]** stance he'd been adopting and immediately launched into a series of offensive moves, minutely aware of his sand acting in a similar manner around him.

Kick. Pivot. Guard. Kick. Punch. Pivot. Guard. Pivot. Slice. Thrust.

Repeat incessantly.

High Kick. Pivot. Guard. Crescent Kick. Jab Punch. Pivot. Guard. Pivot. Strike. Stab.

Repeat and vary incessantly.

What was probably hours later, his muscles finally screamed at him to stop; he had no idea how long he'd been in this basement but the air had gone stale and his stomach was growling. He didn't want to stop. So he pushed himself, ignoring the hunger pains, the muscles, joints and bones _aching_ for release.

He was just about to pivot and strike simultaneously when someone cleared their throat noisily behind him. He had sensed the man's chakra a few minutes ago, but it seemed Baki was growing impatient waiting for his Kaze-heika to finish. If he waited as long as Gaara wanted, they'd be here all day, night and week – maybe he was exaggerating, but it was warranted. The redhead had thrown himself into his training the moment that leaf kunoichi had left and Baki was worried about him – even Gaara didn't have the stamina to keep this up forever.

"I thought I might find you here," Baki said. He cocked an eyebrow at his Kaze-heika and stared, shocked at the practice dummy behind him. "Broke another one, huh?"

Gaara glanced at the humanoid, wooden contraption; he'd strengthened it with chakra and it was one of Kankuro's designs, so it had lasted longer than expected. He sighed. This was as good an excuse as any to stop.

"What do you want?"

The forced lacklustre tone in Gaara's voice greatly disturbed the head of the Suna black ops division – Baki had had that title for years and, during the redhead's rise to his Kaze-heika status, had trained him. ANBU training was the most ruthless known to shinobi and the Kazekage had fought the council tooth and nail against allowing Gaara to enter it; Arō eventually lost out on his youngest son's eleventh birthday. Gaara had never gotten the tattoo (political reasons no doubt) but his ANBU days had left many impressions on him nonetheless; nothing physical, just emotional – psychological. The irrefutable proof that the Kaze-heika was growing steadily isolated from others, and any emotional attachments to the village he was meant to protect had been the final straw in convincing the council to let him out of the program.

It seemed they'd got him out in time but even now Baki still worried for him. During Gaara's tutelage, he'd felt no better than a grown man torturing a child.

"The council has been looking for you," he said. "For _days_ actually. They wish to discuss your future, and I quote 'now that the leaf kunoichi is gone'."

Gaara harrumphed. Typical. The vultures couldn't even wait a few days before hounding him about that stupid clause in the ridiculous agreement they made him sign when he came of age. Article twenty-eight, subsection D: that was what it was all about. His obligation to marry.

_'Why the fuck are they bothering me about this __**now**__?'_

He wasn't obligated to adhere to this for quite some time – he _had_ time. They were just vultures; twisted little carrions that didn't know that they were already dead. He planned on making it a reality. But not just yet – he had bigger concerns.

"They're not going to take 'no' for an answer nor stop pestering you about this," Baki said matter-of-factly.

"I don't care."

This time, the creepy overtones in his Kaze-heika's voice made him shiver. Baki sighed. It seemed that even without the leaf kunoichi here to distract him, Gaara was still _distracted_. He hadn't had the opportunity to meet the girl, but wasn't sure it that was a good or bad thing.

"I hated this place," Gaara said quietly. He was referring of course, to the ANBU barracks and training grounds. "It always smelt like the dead."

Baki nodded mechanically. This place was never a happy one. There was ANBU and then there was ANBU – the one that stayed in shadow and most people (ninja or not) never knew about. It produced more cases of psychosis than what was repairable. Bi-annual evaluations on ANBU personnel were the only thing that kept it from going under completely. Suna had a reputation for being more invasive with its ninja – even regular ninja – so it was a credible precaution and Baki's own anatomy of psychiatric endemics had led to the prevention of a number of unseemly violations within the units and he liked to believe his process had made ANBU stronger.

Gaara was a relic with the black ops – one they all deliberately forgot. He'd killed so many...

And this _place_, this training facility, had been used in the past on allied ANBU as well as enemy ones. Baki's predecessor had impressed upon him the importance of peak efficiency but he was getting tired of the methods, truth be told.

The Sunagakure hierarchy had a long history of simply and quietly executing their psychosis problems.

Baki was a regulations man, but unlike his shadow ANBU counterparts, he didn't think of his subordinates as expendable. The Kazekage was an old friend, and Arō had taught him better than that.

Baki cocked his head to the side, his one good eye taking in the horizon through the window (in this room it was high up); there was a sand storm coming. "It's going to get rough out there," he noted.

Gaara turned to face him. His former senpai was still here...that meant there was something else going on. He wasn't one for chit-chat – really, did he think he wasn't being obvious? "You came for another reason."

It wasn't a question, just a fact. Gaara knew Baki well enough to guess that the council wasn't the only thing that'd sent him searching for his Kaze-heika – and the fact that the council normally sent _masked_ ANBU to "collect" him. The older man hated that he was so transparent, even if it was to someone who would never use any information he gleaned off of him to torture him, like so many who knew him would – case in point; Kankuro had discovered his fetish for bubble baths and teased him relentlessly for months.

Baki sighed – this was wearing on his nerves. "Well, you know how I hate being the bearer of bad news..."

Gaara just stared blankly at him in silent agreement. The man had a habit of pausing mid-sentence when delivering said bad news, and it drove him crazy – he'd killed a foreign spy over it a long time ago, and being the only witness to that bloodied interrogation, it had taken Baki a long time to look Gaara in the eye after that.

He wished the man would just fucking spit it out already.

Baki sighed again. "It's about your leaf kunoichi."

...

_Dear Diary,  
><em>

Wait. No. Scratch that. Start again.

Sakura groaned. Okay, that was too weird – she wasn't a pre-teen anymore. But "dear journal" didn't exactly ring right either. Her new OBGYN had insisted she keep a diary of her pregnancy – which made Sakura uncomfortable. She kept a diary as a pre-teen and had long outgrown her desire to do so. It felt childish to her now. She had no intention of morphing into a gushing mother-to-be and chronicling every trip to the bathroom, back ache, leg cramp, sleepless night and violent urge. It just wasn't _her_ anymore.

She sighed and looked up into the sky, her eyes fluttering shut for a moment. The sun on her face was warm and soft; sunrise had been her favourite time during her medical training. When she studied, her natural curiosity morphed her into hyper-active mode and she didn't mind getting up at ungodly hours of the morning. Her pregnancy had had a similar affect – she was wide awake and enjoying the sunrise like a crazy person.

Sakura giggled at that.

She shifted uncomfortably as her stomach churned (she felt weak and it freaked her out) and opened her eyes to glare down at her "diary".

And then there was the other issue; she was torn between writing all about her "feelings" and her desire to just charge the Otogakure gates and flee. She didn't know how far she'd get, but the urge to try anyway was _strong_. Sakura didn't want to be here. She wanted to get back to Gaara...

He didn't know he was going to be a father. His parents didn't know they were going to be grandparents. His brother didn't know he was going to be an uncle. And her friends had no idea what had happened to her. She was torn again, between desperately wanting them _all_ to know and hoping that Temari was still keeping her promise not to utter a word. She had promised, but once news spread that Sakura was an official traitor, and that she had _disappeared_ how long would she wait before relenting? No-one would think to look for her in Oto of all places – it was surprising to her even, that she was here – so search teams will be looking in all the wrong places. If she remembered correctly, Konoha's _official_ Standard Operating Procedure for looking for missing ninja (rogue or not) in this kind of situation only extended a few months, with the more thorough searches being scaled down after a few weeks. She would be declared M.I.A (or AWOL given her status) in less than three months, and that was being generous.

Sakura held a hand over her abdomen. She didn't want to still be here in her second trimester, or third...or when she finally gave birth. The thought terrified her.

_'Please Kami, __**no**__.'_

Damn it. Focus.

_'Focus.'_

She closed her eyes, taking in deep breaths. Her OBGYN had stressed the fact that she was not out of the woods after her brush with near death – she had to keep herself calm. Her baby was alive – that was enough to even out her breaths; they were coming out shuddery but she felt herself beginning to calm. Images of Gaara stroking her, holding her, kissing her, loving her...they made her feel at peace. And reminded her that her hormones were going to torture her in the months to come.

But it was too early to panic. No, she needed to think positively...she smiled, picturing the reaction of Gaara's family when they find out she's pregnant (offhandedly, she recognised the fear in her heart at _his_ reaction). His parents painted a weird picture though – neither Arō nor Karura _looked_ old enough to be grandparents. Not in her opinion. _Hell_, Tsunade still had her vanity jutsu in place and was bound to think herself too young to be in that position – Sakura's own parents were dead, and she anticipated that her shishou would happily and easily fill that role. She'd also anticipated that when she did finally become a mother she'd be dealing with much older grandparents.

_'Time to let that go.'_

Marrying and having children had always been on her mind as a _long_ term goal: her plans were upside down and she thought she'd come to terms with that...she really _had_ assumed too much.

Sakura sighed, holding up her pregnancy journal, trying to get her thoughts back on track. She refused to call it a diary and journal just sounded so _antiquated_. So she settled for heading it with the date instead. Yep, definitely more mature. Sakura grumbled as her stomach grumbled. She just ate and used the bathroom a few minutes before coming out here and suddenly needed to eat again? She waited a moment – no, the need to pee hadn't returned. Good. So...it had to be her hormones, or whatever. Fucking things.

Ignoring the hunger pains, she cleared her throat and started writing:

**Friday, the 20****th**** of May.**_  
>First Trimester:<br>I feel like crap. All the time. It's getting really annoying. My time is spent between the bathroom, kitchen (if anyone ends up reading this – don't judge me) and navigating this place, otherwise known as the Senkage's home. It's not the connecting hallways that annoys me but the lack of décor – I would take sterile and gauche over gaudy and pretentious any day. Sasuke did say the Senkage likes to show off.  
>What else?<br>I've finally met my new OBGYN – her name is __Sachiko Higashi__ and I recognised her right away. Sachiko is the __former __head field medic for the second Otogakure battalion and we've spoken several times before, at inter-village summits. And apparently, before being promoted to that prestigious position, she'd been an OBGYN medic, but one that had experience in multiple fields of study__. She makes me a little envious; I'm the renown protégé of the fifth Hokage but Sachiko, this woman from some remote civilian village, makes me feel like a first year intern. She's really remarkable.  
>She's just no therapist; I told her I was pissed off and all she had to say was that my mood swings will go away eventually. No two pregnancies are alike, she says. But somehow these ridiculous mood swings will go away like clockwork, she says. And I'll feel better in no time, she says. Yeah right. Her optimism is annoying. And she called the father of my child my "mate". Every book she's given me to read does that too, but that doesn't make it less creepy. She's so <em>_**cheery**__.  
>I'm trying so hard not to act like an ungrateful brat but I don't think she believes me. But she doesn't say anything about it. What I wouldn't do for a little of Tsunade's temperament in her right now. It's been two days since I woke up in Oto and I'm already going 'round the bend.<br>I can't remember either of my dreams the past two nights either; I just remember feeling content, and yet I wake crying...  
><em>

Shit.

Fuck!

_Now_ she needed to pee!

Sakura closed her...okay, _journal_...and holding it to her breast, hurried out of the courtyard – it was the closest to the most accessible toilets to her quarters (not far from Sasuke's) while still being in close quarters with an available kitchen. Even though these accounts were for herself alone, she had actually stopped writing in her diary years ago when it dawned on her that anything she wrote down could one day be read by someone else. So she felt overly protective of her pregnancy journal and decided – especially in a place where she was _sure_ she was being watched at all times (she still had her instincts, after all, and ninja ones, on top of that) – to treat it like her life depended on keeping it away from prying eyes.

Her first trimester was supposed to be like this – peeing all the time, feeling nauseated and tired, not to mention being..._sensitive_ in sensitive areas, but she had been hoping that since Sachiko was right and no two pregnancies were identical that she might be spared some of that at least. It was one thing to read about it in her medical journals back home, but quite another to experience it for herself. She'd already thrown up today and the sun had barely risen. There was this tiny little thing inside of her, currently no bigger than a raspberry – about half an inch long – and if she didn't know any better, she'd think it was trying to _kill_ her.

Sakura sighed, having finished on the toilet, and washed her hands thoroughly. Hygiene had always been important to her, but she was doubly worried now. She was still at risk of a miscarriage so she would endure everything Sachiko had set out for her. She smiled, activating her chakra; she could sense her, and never got tired of doing this. It made everything seem so much more real and though Sakura had been grateful for her perfect chakra control many times before, she'd never truly appreciated it until now. How many expecting mothers, kunoichi or not, could get _this_ close to their unborn child? Being a medic was the best thing she'd done before now – before meeting Gaara, and before letting herself fall in love with him.

Sighing wistfully, she pulled her chakra away a minute later and left the bathroom.

Sachiko had insisted Sakura practice her chakra control every day, and she was more than happy to use those moments to explore the rapid growth of her uterus.

Sakura groaned. The previously vacant courtyard she'd been sitting in since sunrise was now being used for an impromptu sparring session. But she didn't feel much like searching for another area, so Sakura sat back on the fold-out chair she'd had Sasuke get her (the park benches around here were both ridiculous and ridiculously uncomfortable) and thanked Kami that she wasn't in the line of fire.

_'Now, where was I?'_

Right, her dreams...she opened her journal again, balancing her right ankle on her left knee for support. But her thoughts didn't return to those frustratingly unmemorable dreams of hers. She had more important concerns:

_I haven't been here long and I knew from the beginning that it is going to take a while to get out of here. I just keep telling myself I'll get out of here soon, that somehow, miraculously, Orochimaru will tell Sasuke "fuck it" and kick me out. Maybe if I antagonised him enough...but I'm not sure how to do that without seriously pissing him off and getting myself handed over to the Konoha council for execution.  
>The snake came to see me yesterday and I don't want to be alone with him again.<em>_  
>And then there's Sasuke; the same old Sasuke, so who knows what he's thinking.<br>_

She stopped writing to stare at Sasuke, thinking; he and Orochimaru were the two currently sparring in the courtyard. It was only taijutsu and they weren't aiming to kill, so she didn't worry that the snake would suddenly burn the area to the ground to get at the Uchiha.

She'd originally come to the southern courtyard of the Senkage's home (she wasn't allowed out of this complex without a chaperone and the only one that had been assigned to her – Sasuke – was often too busy to do so) for some privacy and peace and quiet, but seeing them sparring like this made her want to stay.

Sakura preferred the look of the eastern training ground though – she went there with "morose Sasuke" to watch the local ninja the day before yesterday, who favoured those grounds to train. They made her nostalgic; her instincts as a ninja was to train right alongside them but her concern over her condition had her obeying her medic's order _not_ to. She had her own stretches...but it didn't feel like enough, even when she felt too tired to do anything about it.

Sakura pursed her lips, twirling the pen in her fingers as she debated whether or not to put her _other_ frustrations down on paper.

Sasuke hadn't said anything more about what he planned to do about helping her and she was getting restless. From his declaration two days ago she figured he had some idea of how she might slip out of the hidden sound village unseen, but no; apparently he was still working on it. Whatever that _meant_.

And other than basic things like "get up, your prenatal appointment was ten minutes ago" or "I'll be training all day – don't starve yourself while I'm gone" Sasuke hadn't said much at all, actually. No small talk anyway. Not even when he was _forced_ to spend time with her. Not that she blamed him for that wall he'd built around himself – not _this_ time. He'd come to her newest check-up and sat with her through the whole thing, but he wasn't happy and no matter how hard he tried to hide it, he was hurting. She hated seeing him like this, but somehow she doubted he'd listen if she told him not to come anymore.

She understood his reasons...but it wasn't easy for her either.

At least she didn't have to deal with feeling guilty around him all day, every day. Most of his time was spent training in some secluded area of the Senkage's extensive home or in that suspicious tool shed that he and Orochimaru often disappeared into. Sasuke had mentioned something about the Senkage's home being built over some kind of research lab; Sakura was pretty sure he wasn't supposed to tell her that, but he didn't seem worried. She would never _tell_ Orochimaru that she knew about his big bad, creepy hidey hole.

She smiled at that.

And it wouldn't surprise her if the Senkage had hidden tunnels too – he was creepy but not stupid, and paranoiac but not imprudent, so it made sense. She wondered vaguely if his underground research lab had any other exits.

And then there were her feelings for Sasuke.

She still loved him – she _really_ did. As much as she told herself that she couldn't because she was in love with Gaara...it never felt _true_. Just because she developed stronger feelings for someone else did not mean that the other ones were not still there buried somewhere; but they stopped being material when she couldn't imagine her life with him anymore. They could never be what they had been.

Still...she felt guilty, and resolved to making it easier on Sasuke, however she could. She would not talk about Gaara near him, and let him have his space for now. But eventually she was going to _need_ more than he had previously given. She _needed_ out of Otogakure.

Sakura sighed, holding her journal closer to her chest. She'd already gone over all this in her head, for months now – ever since she realised she was falling for Suna's Kaze-heika – but she'd wondered what her reunion with Sasuke would be like, as well. To be honest, while she still felt uncomfortable given their now respectively _separate_ romantic entanglements (not to mention her _condition_ was still cause for discomfort for him), what little interactions they had had since her arrival in this snake pit felt like they had all those years before they became romantically involved – like the universe had reset their settings back to the factory default. There was too much history for it to feel like a total clean slate, but the anticipation – the _expectation_ – was definitely there.

And just like all those years ago, she wanted to talk to him about all this, but wasn't sure where to start.

Sighing again (she seemed to be doing that a lot lately), she returned to her journal. But before she could put pen to paper, she sensed a familiar approaching chakra signature.

"Good morning."

Sakura looked up from her journal, raising a hand to block the glare of the morning sun. She smiled at her visitor, but pulled her journal to her chest protectively nonetheless. "Yasue-san! Morning."

The good doctor was a pleasant surprise as he sat down on the bench – less than three feet from her. He had been the first face she saw upon her arrival in Otogakure that didn't make her want to run in the opposite direction and continued to be genial toward her, as well as a consistent source of felicity for her. He just seemed to have that affect on her, and she imagined a lot of other people felt that way too. It surprised her though, that someone as creepy as Orochimaru could employ someone not-so-creepy as Yasue Nagao, but every shady character needed an anomalously out-of-place _associate_ to make them look good she supposed.

If he wasn't primarily a trauma surgeon she'd have wanted him as her OBGYN.

"Not interrupting you, am I?" he asked, pointing at her journal.

"No, it's okay." Sakura waved the now closed journal about. "Sachiko-san just insisted I write all about my nauseating pregnancy."

He laughed. "How are you liking her?"

Sakura would forever be happy that Sachiko had replaced that god awful man, Shimada; she had demanded a female medic but was still surprised that the former head field medic for the second Otogakure battalion had actually specialised as an OBGYN before rising through the Oto ranks – Yasue had replaced her recently, and rumour had it that it wasn't because she was female. Apparently, despite his creepiness and social flaws, Orochimaru was actually into equal opportunity between the sexes. His head of security was also a woman – someone called Karin.

Sakura didn't want to pry however, and never asked Sachiko, during her first check-up with the woman, _why_ she'd been removed from the prestigious position. But she _was_ curious.

"Thank-you for recommending her," she said. Unlike that ass Shimada, Sachiko had done her job properly, and was pleasant and easy to talk to (even with the brooding dark cloud that was Sasuke sitting nearby).

"You're welcome Sakura-san."

"Just Sakura, please."

He just smiled.

"Look at them go," Yasue said, his eyebrows raised as he watched Sasuke and Orochimaru's spar. "I'm getting tired just watching them."

"You're not a ninja?" She was surprised – they might be taking their sparring session seriously, but Sasuke and Orochimaru were still not going all out. She hadn't thought to look for a hitai-ate before now; she gave him a quick once over, in case she'd missed it. Nope, no regulation headband.

He smiled sheepishly. "No. I train, but I'm not really a shinobi. I just like to keep in shape. The way of the ninja was never for me anyway – I think that's why there's so few medical ninja; because as doctors, we take oaths never to harm, which is an impossible promise for ninja to keep."

Sakura nodded her head slowly; she'd become a ninja first, then a medic, so she understood just how trying it could be. What she decided to do ultimately was divide her role as a kunoichi medic into two parts and treat them separately, like she was operating on her life. It sounded awfully confusing but in practice, she'd found it beneficial. She glance at Yasue. She had assumed he had ninja training since he reported directly to the Senkage, but it seemed he was just an uber version of a normal doctor; he had an active chakra network because he treated ninja _not_ civilians, but was basically just a notch above a civilian.

She should've remembered that it happens – but that was mostly just in hospitals.

Sakura looked up as Sasuke and Orochimaru's chakra output changed – they'd stopped. She caught the Uchiha's eye and held it, wondering what was going through his head. Then his eyes shifted to Yasue and he glared openly at the medic – the level of hostility was surprising.

Yasue shook his head, shivering slightly under those dark eyes. "I better go; before he incinerates me or something."

"Wait–" She started, but he just shook his head, bowed lightly and left without another word. Sakura turned to glare at Sasuke. What the hell was his problem? But the Uchiha didn't flinch under her gaze and actually had the gall to smirk and scoff at her – at the same time. Apparently her anger was amusing to him. And all she could do was sulk – she didn't scare him in the slightest. It was disheartening because she used to be able to shut him up with a glare – given the situation, also wipe that patronising smirk off his face with the same ire.

Arsehole.

A low toned chuckle came from Orochimaru, who'd been watching the exchange silently until now, and reflexively, her eyes found his. He was smiling. It was unnerving. How dare he act affably? That's it – he tried too hard. Orochimaru was making an effort to be nice to her, and it was creeping her out.

Once they'd stopped staring at her and they returned to their spar Sakura lowered her eyes to her journal. But she couldn't focus on it right now.

For a few minutes she just let her mind be chaotic. Once the storm died down she forced her thoughts onto a more _pleasant_ track.

It was now a little over seven weeks on from her first time sleeping with Gaara; when Reika first told her she was pregnant Sakura couldn't have been more than six weeks, but...it wasn't difficult to get the date wrong the first time. Medical professionals counted the last ovulation as the conception date, _not_ the sex itself – alternatively, it would be more accurate to say that the average human pregnancy was two hundred and sixty-six days from conception, or two hundred and eighty days (forty weeks) from the start of the last menstrual period. Either way, she was due on the third of January; next year, _not_ in December like she'd calculated for herself. It was damn confusing.

She wasn't sure what to think of the timing there. The first time she'd slept with Gaara was the unofficial conception date; and if she remembered correctly, she hadn't had her periods since. She wasn't a regular person, in every sense of the word, so it could've been at any point from then on, but the development of the foetus would indicate to that night.

It felt weird though. Like she'd lost time – those weeks bled together in her memory. Something felt a little off with that.

She just shrugged however, and tapped the pen against her chin, trying to think of something else to add.

A part of her couldn't wait to be able to hold her hand to her stomach and _feel_ the changes her child was making to her body as the months went by, while the other part was terrified. She already used her chakra to check on her unborn child, but it was one thing to feel something currently so small and another thing to feel it become something that's going to be _huge_.

_'Nope. Not adding __**that**__ to the journal.'_

She sighed. Well, there was always the clinical side of things. Sakura started writing again:

_I'm doing my exercises – from my heel raises to the modified push-up – and I'm soooo tired. I hate that I can't exercise like a normal kunoichi. Sachiko-san said I could do basic kata if I still had the energy after the normal exercises and I'm beginning to think she only agreed to it because she knew I __**wouldn't**__. So unfair.  
>It makes me respect non-kunoichi mothers so much more. How do they do this without exceptional stamina? There was this pregnant civilian in Konoha a year ago – Kaori Sakoda, if I remember correctly – who had the energy of a horse, literally. She was so bubbly and excited, even in her third trimester and waddling like an odd duckling.<br>Kami I hope I'm __**not**__ like her when I get there.  
><em>

Sakura paused to smile absent-mindedly before continuing:

_I have other concerns too, like stretch marks and back pain – though that starts as a second trimester thing. And swelling, and the pain and discomfort of the third trimester. And, I know it's a bit early to worry about how much weight I'll end up putting on, but my appetite seems to have kick started. I think that's supposed to be normal...  
><em>

In all her midwifery training, she couldn't remember if over eating was a first trimester thing or not. It probably was – she was ravenous. Yep, now she was getting hungry again. No more ignoring it.

Sakura stood, stretched and gave the still sparring shinobi a side glance before folding up her chair and heading to the kitchens.

The Senkage apparently always trained insanely early because of his busy schedule so the staff were probably twittering around in the kitchen right now, getting his breakfast ready – food after training was the staple of any ninja worth their salt. Sakura had started by stealing food (because Sasuke was unreliable when so busy) but quickly discovered the wily staff had figured her out; ninja or no ninja she couldn't be stealthy when she craved so _much_. But the stern looking cook had recognised her need and told her she was welcome to whatever she wanted. The woman had faith that Orochimaru wouldn't mind.

Yeah, whatever.

So Sakura ate at one of the preparation benches – it was cleared away for her and she was grateful – and wondered vaguely if any of the staff knew who she really was. If they did, they never said anything. She found it hard to believe that Orochimaru was laid back about the idea of news of him harbouring a "criminal" getting out into the world. But at the same time it was entirely plausible that her status was only known amongst the shinobi of the world. Maybe even the fact that she'd been kidnapped in the first place wasn't common knowledge either.

So she grudgingly decided that her presence in the kitchens probably didn't annoy the Senkage.

She still didn't trust him though. Gaara didn't, even the ridiculous Suna council didn't; the former was enough for her but the latter actually solidified it.

She reached out to grab a freshly baked croissant when she caught a whiff of something disgusting – it looked like some kind of gizzard and she wanted to puke. Thankfully, the scullery maid carrying the platter tray didn't pause and continued to the other end of the kitchens. Now that Sakura looked around she realised they were cooking more than Orochimaru's breakfast. There was enough steam and delectable scents in the air to convince her an army was getting fed this morning.

Nobles. Had to be.

She screwed her nose up at that and started eating a little faster. She wanted to get out of here before something else made her want to lose what she'd already eaten. She was hastily filling up a doggie bag (while simultaneously eating a piece of hot bread that had caught her eye) when the main, large oak doors to the kitchen opened and the staff starting bowing respectfully at the new arrival.

Fuck.

Sakura looked up at Orochimaru and watched as he spoke with the head cook – she assumed the woman was in charge of the kitchen staff anyway. He moved to leave but then noticed the pinkette watching him. One quick smile and he was gone.

So much for avoiding things that made her want to lose what she'd already eaten.

His smile ruined her appetite and Sakura put the hot bread down, chewing and swallowing her mouthful quickly to get rid of it.

_'Yep, he's definitely up to something,'_ she thought, remembering her suspicions that he wanted her here for more than just making Sasuke happy – especially since her presence seemed to upset the Uchiha more than anything else.

And she was going to find out _exactly_ what that was.

…

_'Breathe in.'_

Try not to panic.

_'Breathe out.'_

Think of something calming.

_'Breathe in again.'_

Picture hands wringing Kankuro's neck.

_'Breathe out again.'_

Happy place. Happy place. Happy place...

She groaned; it wasn't working.

Temari's hands trembled as she re-read the decrypted scroll for the umpteenth time. The thirteenth Sunagakure battalion was supposed to check in days ago. They hadn't. The area where they were last seen was supposed to be out of the line of enemy fire. It hadn't been. Now they were missing. Three ninja squadrons had just _vanished_. It was like one of those historical phenomenons where people disappear under mysterious circumstances and decades later people are still talking about how it could've possibly happened.

And to make matters worse, according to this new reliable intelligence, the hierarchy in Konohagakure had gone completely _insane_.

One minute the Hokage wanted her apprentice back in return for agreeing to a treaty and the next, Sakura was being classified as a missing-nin. Temari had a hard time believing that Lady Tsunade would order this though – she'd met the woman before, during an attempted peace talks two years ago that failed as abysmally as this one was starting to. If nothing else she had _seemed_ honourable. Sakura had certainly held her in high regard. So this didn't make any sense.

Unless the Konoha council was as sly and shady as the Suna one. But they'd still need the Daimyo's support. On top of that, where was their _evidence_? The newest edition of the Bingo Book for the Land of Fire simply stated that she'd sold secrets, which was vague and nonsensical in and of itself – where there had been a clear crime, said crime would be _clearly_ labelled on the page in question. So it was all being kept under-the-table; typically, a black-listed ninja was added to a hidden village's Bingo Book by the Kage. This was so fishy it wasn't even funny.

She wouldn't put it past some Konoha shadow ANBU from killing her quietly, and out of the way. This day couldn't possibly get any worse.

And apparently, this news had startled Gaara so soundly that he'd accidentally destroyed the support beams of some ANBU training complex – or so she heard from Baki. She'd expected him to be yelling and barking angry orders when she finally caught up with him but...Gaara made no indignant rant about the incompetence of the ninja who'd escorted Sakura – nor the obvious inability of the leaf to get their facts straight – and in many ways, that was far scarier. Silence was not golden with her little brother – eerily so.

Temari remembered how he'd been during his ANBU training and knew from experience that quiet anger was worse on him than ranting and yelling – like blind rage was more dangerous than normal rage. He wasn't chucking some tantrum like the one he pulled when Lady Tsunade had demanded her protégé's return for the treaty to work, and Sakura's insistence that she abide by it. That white hot, searing feeling of blind rage was all over his face; a rare occurrence. It wasn't possessiveness over a woman he was in love with. It wasn't anger that someone had made his coffee with two spoons instead of his usual three.

It was _pure_ and untempered. And it scared her more than anything else he ever did.

But this scroll..she stared at it, wondering if that old adage about things always getting worse when you least expect it was some sort of foreboding expression instead of mere conjecture. Things were spiralling out of control. And to top it all off, she had this persistent itch in her...

"Temari?"

She quickly hid the scroll behind her back...and then grimaced. Rule number one on keeping secrets from Kankuro: don't try to hide the evidence right in front of him. An obvious one, but important nonetheless. He was like a child who'd spotted candy and wasn't above doing anything to have it.

"Whatcha got there?" He asked, striding toward her.

They were in one of the interconnecting hallways of the Sabaku family home and really, she should've known better than to read this scroll _here_.

"Nothing."

Lame.

"Come on," Kankuro wiggled his finger at her. "It's not nice to keep secrets from family."

To her horror, the scroll flew out of her hands and toward Kankuro. He caught it gleefully.

Chakra strings. Had to be. The puppet freak.

"Kankuro!"

"Ha-ha! Victory!"

If the situation wasn't so serious, she'd _seriously_ wring his thick neck. "What are you, like twelve? Give it back! That's classified!"

"I have top level security," he said. "I can read it if I want to."

She frowned at him, wondering if she should attack him. He was just so troublesome...she sighed, letting it go.

Kankuro mirrored her frustrated expression. "Sakura..." He took a minute and once he nodded to himself and started rolling the scroll away, Temari knew what he was going to do.

"Don't tell Gaara," she said.

He looked at her like she'd grown another head. "She's missing Temari. She never made it to–"

Quickly, and without thinking, Temari jumped on him, covering his mouth and glaring at him. "_No_."

He glared right back. She didn't scare him. Her eyes narrowed and eventually, he looked away. Okay, she scared him a _little_. He sighed and she released her hold on him. But...he still didn't like it.

"Temari–"

"He can't know."

"Why not?"

"Have you _seen_ him since he found out what Konoha's done to her?"

He shook his head. She crossed her arms over her chest and gave him her infamous 'are you fucking stupid?' look; Kankuro's eyes widened in understanding. Quiet rage.

"But..." He still couldn't picture not telling Gaara. He didn't want to be the one to explain it to him, but figured it'd be worse when Gaara found out later, and that they'd known all along.

This family was _insane_.

"_No_," she repeated, snapping at him. "I won't do that – not while there's still hope left."

"But he has the right to know."

_'That's not all he has the right to know that he doesn't know,' _she thought, remembering Sakura's "condition".

Temari found herself torn between keeping her promise to the girl, and telling Gaara that the woman he was in love with was pregnant with his child; she would most likely decide to figure out what had happened to Sakura first though. She could deal with her conscience later. But that scenario didn't go past discovering Sakura (or not finding her). On the one hand, Sakura could be found alive and well, and on the other...she didn't want to explore _that_ possibility. So like Sakura had done originally, Temari was procrastinating. It wasn't her place to tell Gaara, but if the worst came to pass, could she really hide it from him for the rest of her life? And as much as it pained her to admit, Kankuro was right – Gaara had the right to know. But gods, what would be worse for him, losing Sakura without knowing she was expecting, or losing her and _knowing_? Temari had no answer for that.

"Suna to Temari." Kankuro waved a hand in front of her face. "Where'd you go, Iwa?"

Temari scoffed, shaking the morbid thoughts from her head. "Look, the fact of the matter is that the thirteenth battalion is missing–" (conveniently the one _she'd_ been hoping to join before this debacle with her father and Sakura got out of hand, and had been denied) "–and the council wants a squad to head out in the morning to track them. The doddering old fools may have been all for the alliance with Konoha, but I don't see them expending any effort to find Sakura – whatever team goes out will have to be looking for her too."

"You're not a tracker." He argued. "Why did they choose you?"

"I know the battalion leader," she said. _'Better than anyone,'_ she thought morosely. "I know how she thinks."

"Yeah, okay, there's that–"

"And whether you like it or not, you're better off _here_."

"But–"

"You're not a tracker either."

"Damn it Temari, stop interrupting me!" He was getting tired of everyone telling him what to do lately. He cared about their missing battalion and Sakura's disappearance too, you know? He currently had a number of ceramic trinkets in his room that proved it. Hearing that Sakura had been marked as a missing-nin was bad enough, but actually _missing_? His nerves were frayed. He didn't foresee a restful night in his immediate future. She was the cherry on the cake to the missing battalion. Or the icing – however that ridiculous saying went. He preferred chocolate cakes anyway...

Temari smiled sadly at him. "Sorry, but I happen to agree with the idiots on this one." Maybe that made her an idiot too, but she didn't care. "The fighting is dying down, but travelling with a large contingent would be inadvisable."

"I know that."

"And let's face it," she said cheekily. "You were never her favourite person anyway."

"Hey! That's unfair! She was totally digging me!"

"Until she met Gaara."

"That hurts Temari," he pouted. "Right in the male pride."

The leader of the thirteenth battalion was one of Temari's childhood friends – even from a young age Seika Yamamoto had a thing for Gaara, as a lot of girls did. Once she got over the creepy, emo, stoic "I'd rather kill you" vibe anyway. But Seika never had a chance with Gaara and had settled for Kankuro one lonely night in a moment of weakness and the puppet master had left a less-than-pleasing impression on the woman. And Temari hadn't let him forget it.

Kankuro just needed to stop setting his sights on women who had no interest in him like that. He'd always wanted what he couldn't have. He deserved better and Temari had told him this.

"Besides, someone needs to stay to keep an eye on Gaara..."

"Let mum do that," Kankuro said, shivering at the thought. "Gaara's a mamma's boy; he'll do whatever she says."

Despite the seriousness of the situation, Temari couldn't hold back her chuckle at that. The great and powerful Kaze-heika really _did_ have a mummy complex. Kankuro grumbled, tossed the scroll back at her and strode away without another word.

Temari spent the better part of the afternoon selecting her squad members, since she'd been given complete autonomy over the mission. The council was unhappy. As always. But they weren't the only ones.

And it was made even more obvious to her the next morning when Temari led her cousin's ANBU squad (minus Mia because she'd been requested to stay – by who, Temari wasn't sure but she had an idea) and several special jounin to the gates of Suna. Their mission was to search for the thirteenth battalion, but the council had also given her permission to follow the trail left behind by Mia's squad when they'd escorted Sakura – as long as it didn't interfere with the first half of the mission. Frighteningly, they'd agreed with her on the whole 'not telling Gaara she's missing' thing. And she'd chosen these specific ANBU for this mission based solely on the fact that they'd know where to begin looking for the pinkette.

Temari was worried about her childhood friend. She was worried about Sakura. She was worried about the ninja under Seika's command. And she was starting to _feel_ the stress. Gaara had been right to worry about this treaty with Konoha.

Gaara.

He'd been acting strangely, even for him. She knew him well enough to know that when he didn't throw a fit about something important to him it meant he was planning something insidious, even if he didn't have the whole blind rage vibe going on – something underhanded. Something even the most hardened ANBU wouldn't approve of. And that was saying something, since he had a history with them. He was definitely up to something. And Gaara always got his way.

Until Sakura.

Looking back at Suna one last time before leading her team out, Temari reminded herself that nothing was without risk in the shinobi world. She just hoped the people she cared about weren't currently paying that price.

…

XXX

...

Okay. I re-read a lot of my favourite GaaSaku fics while writing this chapter and I think that helped get me back into the mood for TSoW – blood, sweat and tears lol. And Dramione. Funnily enough, that helped too. No judging please. ;P I just need to light a fire under my ass and get this story moving. I don't want to still be writing it in another 3 years time. Not to sound overly dramatic. And sorry for the lack of Gaara here to what I'd promised – somehow I feel like that first scene still wasn't enough. I'd written a lot of this fic before losing it and can't remember every word obviously, but there's still plenty that I'm looking forward to in this Arc. And it's mostly about Gaara... ;) Anyhoo. Lotsa love! ^_^

**R&R**

...

**[**_*****_**]** Chu-dan: martial arts: a neutral stance that it is not entirely defensive or offensive but somewhere in between. Amongst other things, this stance makes it easy to switch to either defensive or offensive quickly. Translates to "middle position".


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